Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a 125-120 loss to the Boston Celtics in Friday's preseason game. However, amid the disappointing result, Sixers star Joel Embiid made headlines with an unexpected dunk, later admitting that he “kind of got possessed” during the play.
When asked about the dunk in the locker room, Embiid reflected on the surprising moment and admitted that he never expected to pull off such a finish, given his recent injury struggles.
“I guess it's good to dunk,” Embiid said. “I thought I would never dunk again. Yeah, I don't know what happened. I kind of got possessed.”
Beyond the highlight-reel dunk, Embiid also delivered an impressive offensive performance in Philadelphia's final preseason outing. The Sixers center finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists, leading all Philadelphia players in scoring despite the team's narrow loss.
Tyrese Maxey also made a significant contribution with 22 points and six assists, while Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists against his former team. Meanwhile, LeBron James recorded eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Following Friday's loss, the 76ers have fallen to a 1-4 record in preseason games this season. Despite the team's struggles, Embiid does not believe Philadelphia's star players need to sacrifice their individual roles for the team to succeed.
“I'm against the concept of sacrificing,” Embiid said. “I think the way I explained it was you do what you do best, and we're going to support you. I don't think anybody has to take a backseat.
Now, Embiid and the 76ers will shift their focus to their regular-season opener against the New York Knicks. The matchup will give Philadelphia its first opportunity to evaluate its revamped roster in a competitive game that counts toward the regular-season standings.