“We saw the live exorcism of a demon” - Paul Hembekides praises Doc Rivers’ audacity for calling the play that led to Joel Embiid’s winner vs Toronto

ESPN commentator Paul Hembekides said Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers should be praised for his call that led to Joel Embiid's game-winning shot on Wednesday.

Embiid drained a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining to lift Philadelphia to a 104-101 overtime victory in Game 3 over the Toronto Raptors. The 76ers have a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Praising Doc Rivers and his legendary play call for Joel Embiid's overtime victory bucket

On Thursday’s episode of “Greeny” Paul Hembekides said:

“We saw the live exorcism of a demon.”

Joel Embiid played at his MVP caliber, showing just how difficult it is to stop him on Wednesday night as Doc Rivers put the game in his hands.

A smart decision for any coach, of course. But the designed play call for the situation was extraordinary at the very least.

Greenberg said:

“I’m not sure there’s another human being that has ever walked the face of planet Earth that stands seven-foot tall, for whom you would call that play. There’s a 25-footer to a turn-around 3 at the buzzer. Maybe Dirk (Nowitzki), but the audacity to even call it is extraordinary from Doc. ... We saw the live exorcism of a demon because that was that moment against Kawhi (Leonard) and Toronto. Still lives in all of us.”

Greenbert said this year is Embiid’s:

“Embiid’s playoff career has been defined by that moment (in Toronto), and then has been defined by Ben Simmons passing up that dunk (against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals) last year. Well, Joel finally got his moment, and it’s one that we’re going to play on his Hall of Fame roll, over and over.”

Leonard had 41 points, including a buzzer-beating jumper at the buzzer, to lift the Toronto Raptors past the 76ers 92-90 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Toronto went on to win the championship that season.

Embiid averaged an NBA-leading 30.6 points along with 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 this season as Philadelphia (51-31) finished fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid dealt with Simmons’ absence until the team traded him for James Harden in February. Embiid then had to adapt to a new secondary playing style while he maintained his dominance. This season was the epitome of leadership and dominance at an MVP-caliber level of play.

Regardless of how much Embiid has proved to be reliably dominant this season, Rivers' play call like that for anybody was a stretch. But for a 7-foot, 280-pound center, it was something completely different.

No matter the audacity from Rivers, Embiid made that play look like it was Kobe Bryant playing in Shaquille O'Neal’s body. That is an insane thing to do at his size, no matter his excellence.

Whichever team is placed in Embiid’s way this postseason is going to have a problem. Not only has the man proved that he owns inside the key, but he is stretching himself out to ridiculous 25-footers in the clutch.