After beating the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers believed that this could be their year. However, they have been punched in the mouth in the second round, as the New York Knicks took a commanding 3-0 lead.
With or without Joel Embiid, the franchise has been no match for the Knicks. But if the face of “The Process” is to be believed, the losses aren’t on his team. Instead, he suggests rigging as a possible explanation for Philly’s situation.
Joel Embiid Isn’t Accepting Reality As the Philadelphia 76ers Fall Behind 3–0
The 76ers did not have much hope most of the year. Injuries had plagued the roster, and Paul George got suspended on top of it, leading to a finish in the play-in game. However, a cathartic first round gave the franchise some renewed belief.
Behind a returning Embiid, they were able to erase a 3-1 deficit and beat the Boston Celtics for the first time in more than four decades. However, their second round hasn’t gone according to plan.
Now, down 3-0, it seems like the story is over for the season. But the former MVP doesn’t see much fault with Philadelphia. Instead, after the game, he complained about the disparity in the two teams’ treatment.
“They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of threes. We attack, put the ball on the ground. I don’t know. I guess it’s good when New York wins, so we just got to have that mentality of just not fouling, I guess, and being smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they’re going to take advantage of it.”
Joel Embiid was asked about the way tonight’s game was officiated and whether or not the officials let more things go tonight:
“They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of threes. We attack, put the ball on the ground. I don’t know.
I guess it’s… pic.twitter.com/WKYs8zlUPX
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 9, 2026
His comments sparked almost immediate outrage. While the overall numbers he spoke about were correct, they were bereft of almost any context.
Phill Meek of Barstool Sports was quick to fire back, “8 free throws were Hack-A-Mitch, and the refs let him play defense like Bobby Wagner. Never any accountability for a hall of fame loser.”
Meek wasn’t the only one, though, as wrestling journalist Ibou provided a detailed breakdown of the referee situation.
“They intentionally fouled Mitchell Robinson 8 times, which inflated the disparity. KAT got called for numerous bullshit fouls that took him out of the game early, and the Sixers did not capitalize. One of them was him being pulled to the ground by Embiid.”
Continuing, he gave the seven-time All-Star a brutal reality check.
“Joel Embiid is a great player, he’s also being remarkably, impressively stupid here. You’re down 3-0. You lost game 1 by 40. This is not a refs thing. It’s not a rest thing. The New York Knicks are the better basketball team.”
Daniel Wexler had some immediate sarcasm to explain the absurdity of Embiid’s comments, as he wrote, “Yup. It’s rigged. 53 years since they won a title.”
Most people, though, weren’t willing to give him the grace of sarcasm, as they called out the situation.
As analyst Andrew Claudio wrote, “Truly no bigger loser in NBA history,” he was immediately backed by The Jet Press.
“I say this with all due respect and all sincerity: this might be the biggest loser in the history of the sport bro this is embarrassing. Real human beings root for this guy and defend stuff like this. Genuinely mind blowing.”
Jonathan Macri, too, came to a similar conclusion, writing, “I genuinely feel for the people of the great city of Philadelphia who have invested their time, faith and energy into this man for more than a decade. They’d have been much better off if Sam Hinkie decided to become the CEO of some tech company instead of running an NBA team.”
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As one fan continued, “Joel Embiid is genuinely the worst type of professional athlete on this planet. 0 accountability & constantly plays the victim for damn near a decade. Give Maxey the keys already,” while another one wrote, “No loss is ever on him, biggest baby in the association.”
Injuries have taken away from what could have been a spectacular career in the NBA. A former third overall pick, Embiid has been christened as one of the best jump-shooting big men in NBA history for his nearly automatic stroke from the midrange.
An MVP and one of the most game-changing players in recent history, his career might be the ultimate what-if.
However, the complaining after the game was certainly beneath him, particularly given how the game played out for everyone to witness.
