Joel Embiid never is afraid to speak his mind, especially after a frustrating loss.
Such was the case Tuesday night after the Philadelphia 76ers were handed a 112-109 defeat at the hands of the Kyrie Irving-less Boston Celtics.
Embiid, who is known for his candor, wasn’t happy with how the game was officiated, especially a no-call late in the fourth quarter when Al Horford appeared to have raked the center across his arms while going up for a shot. The star center let his frustrations be known after the game when he blasted the officials before ending his press conference.
Embiid scored 23 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the loss, but also was called for five fouls and didn’t receive the whistle on that crucial late-game play.
The 76ers also have to be frustrated at their inability to beat the Celtics no matter what team Brad Stevens trots onto the court. After losing to a Celtics team without Irving and Gordon Hayward in five games in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals, Philadelphia now is 0-3 against the C’s this season.
Despite the addition of Tobias Harris as the trade deadline, the Sixers still were unable to show they have what it takes to beat their Atlantic Division rival.
