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Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers were surprised when Joel Embiid fell during a play against the Toronto Raptors. Embiid has been playing like an MVP this season, and seeing him down on the ground and in pain was concerning for the Sixers and his fans.
Embiid defended a shot attempt by center Jakob Poeltl underneath the basket. As he fell, he tweaked his right ankle and belted out a scream of pain. The reigning league MVP couldn't stand up and remained on the baseline for quite some time. He continued to lie on the ground, and Philly was forced to take a timeout with 5:25 left in the first quarter.
Watch the play unfold in the video below.
Since the 2023-24 season started, Embiid has remained healthy. The Cameroonian center has played 24 games, only missing two games.
The 7-foot center is coming off a 51-point performance where he led the Sixers to a 127-113 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His offensive masterclass was a treat to watch for the fans who were present in the Wells Fargo Center.
Embiid is a favorite to be named the MVP for the second straight year after winning over Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets last season.
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Rudy Gobert criticized officials after Joel Embiid's 51-point performance
Joel Embiid's recent outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves was nothing short of spectacular. Embiid was able to get to his spots easily, going for 17-25 on the field that night. He also had an impressive night shooting free throws, getting 18 attempts overall. The center made 17 of his free-throw attempts, which helped the Philadelphia 76ers win.
After the game, Minnesota center Rudy Gobert praised Embiid for his stellar outing against his team. However, Gobert also criticized the officials as the six-time All-Star was able to have multiple trips to the charity stripe.
"He had an amazing night," Gobert said after the game. "He was obviously -- I mean, he's MVP for a reason. He's a very, very tough matchup, a tough player to guard.
"But it makes it even harder for me when the officials call some fouls like they called the first two fouls. And that puts me in foul trouble and then it's even harder to guard him. So I wish they would … call the game more fairly, so I can really at least try to be me and try to make him work even harder."
Gobert's comments may cause him to get into trouble. Fortunately for him, the league hasn't issued a statement or fine for his criticism of the officiating.
