Joel Embiid took a parting shot at Myles Turner, whether he meant it intentionally or not.
Embiid is as brutally honest as they get. That’s something we can never take from him, whether he takes home the MVP award this season or not. So, what happened when the 76ers defeated the Indiana Pacers by 16 points on Monday night?
Embiid put on a postgame media session performance as only he can.
The 26-year-old had 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting in 27 minutes. It was a good, not great, game from a player we’ve come to have heightened expectations for. The 76ers balanced shooting attack prevented another 30-to-40 point output from Embiid, but he still physically dominated his matchup with Pacers big man Myles Turner.
Joel Embiid takes brutal shot at Myles Turner
Turner is known as one of the better defensive big men in the game. He’s frequently among the league leaders in blocked shots, rebounds and overall can move his feet pretty well on the pick-and-roll. So, why was Embiid able to pick his spot on the floor against such a physical presence? Well, per Embiid himself, he’s never really struggled against Turner.
“I say this respectfully, but that’s a matchup I’ve dominated since I got to the league,” Embiid said of Turner, per 76ers Digital Reporter Lauren Rosen.
Someone needs to inform Joel that there’s no way to respectfully say you’ve always dominated someone. It’s not going to go down that way, period.
Embiid has the right to talk right now. Should Turner wish to shut him up, he needs to up his game the next time the two take the court. Such is the life of an NBA big against a trash talking giant.