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Joel Embiid had a rather unexpected response after he was slammed with the villain tag by a raucous New York crowd at the Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
The Philadelphia 76ers staved off elimination again with a 112-106 OT win over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They trail 3-2 as the action shifts to the Wells Fargo Center for Game 6. While Embiid's return was a massive boost for Philly, it didn't earn him any flowers at the Garden, as fans relentlessly roasted the Sixers center.
On his part, Embiid had a different outlook, saying that he loves the Big Apple and is fine with the trolling.
“I love New York. New York is my favorite city in the world. I have a place here for the past five years. I just love New York. If I’ve got to be the punching bag and you hear a lot of ‘F Embiid,’ that’s ok. I love it.”
Here's the video of Embiid expressing his love for the city.
On the game front, Embiid ended his evening with a TD3, notching up 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Tyrese Maxey's 46-point outburst laid the foundation for their win. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson chalked up 40 points, while Josh Hart had 18 points.
Joel Embiid had earlier expressed disappointment with Knicks fans
When the New York Knicks won on Sunday, the Wells Fargo Center had a sea of blue that called out Joel Embiid and the rest of the Sixers stars, and the reigning MVP expressed his disappointment with the fans.
That comes as a stark contrast with what he said after the outcome of Game 5. Speaking to ESPN, he said:
"Disappointing. I love our fans. Think it's unfortunate, and I'm not calling them out, but it is disappointing. You got a lot of Knicks fans, and they're down the road. I've never seen it, and I've been here for 10 years.
"Yeah, it kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They've always shown up, and I don't think that should happen. Yeah, it's not OK."
Throughout the game, there were cheers whenever either team did anything successful. The Knicks and 76ers fans went at it trying to drown the other side out. With Game 6 back in Philly, expect another similar outcome with Knicks fans as they look to make their presence felt when Joel Embiid takes the floor.
