You know Joel Embiid is feeling better when the NBA world is getting frustrated with his ability to get to the free-throw line. The Philadelphia 76ers star seemingly ticked off the Houston Rockets, who got hit with a triple-double from the big man.
Closing out a quarter on the opposite side of a 14-3 run, the Rockets acknowledged that they had to make some strong changes on defense.
Houston assistant, Royal Ivey, spoke with a reporter about the team's plans to improve when they returned to the floor. In that moment, Ivey sent a shot at Embiid for hunting calls.
"Just the fouling," Ivey said. "Like, Embiid shoots nine free throws that half-the foul baiting is crazy right now! We just got to beat them on discipline, showing our hands, he's trying to swipe through. Then, out in transition, we allowed Maxey to get loose and allowed role players to get easy baskets. Once we set out defense, they can't score in the half-court."
Since becoming one of the league's top scorers, Embiid has become somewhat of a master of getting to the free-throw line. With NBA players embracing getting fouled as a bit of a skill, Embiid has been open about his "smart play" in the past. As a result, he has been called out by several assistant and head coaches across the league over time.
On Thursday night, Embiid went to the free-throw line for 12 shots. That's above his season average of 8.1 attempts per game. With Embiid being a strong free-throw shooter, he managed to make all but one of his attempts.
By the end of the night, Embiid had shot 10-19 from the field. He wrapped up the game with 32 points. He also came down with 15 rebounds and passed out 10 assists. On defense, he snatched up one steal and blocked one shot.
After checking in for a season-high 45 minutes, Embiid was a key piece in helping the Sixers take down the Rockets in overtime. They won 128-122, moving to 24-19 on the year.
Embiid and the Sixers are slated for their next game to be at home on Saturday against the New York Knicks. The two rivals will tip off at 3 PM ET.
Newsweek