ATLANTA - Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid's second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks went from historical comparison to the "Big Dipper" - Wilt Chamberlain - for a big oh-fer in the second half of Monday's 103-100 loss that tied Joe Were things 2-2.
According to ESPN Stats and Information Research, Embiid went 0-for-12 in the second half, for the most attempts in a playoff game in the past 25 years without a turnaround.
None of them were bigger than a miss point-blank layup, couldn't connect with 8.8 seconds, right-hander on the rim after catching a pick-and-roll feed from Tobias Harris, trailing 101-100 from Tobias Harris. was sailing the effort of. .
"Great look. Great look. I didn't have a lift," said Embiid, who played the Eastern Conference Semifinals series on a partially torn meniscus in his right knee. "Thought I was fouled too. But usually, I would go up, especially for a bucket like that, try to sink it. Try to foul and get a -1. But . ..not being able to jump for obvious reasons. ...that's hard."
The MVP runner-up repaired a knee injury, returning in the postseason after missing just one game, in the first round against the Washington Wizards.
In the first three games against the Hawks, Embiid averaged 35.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, a three-game post-season period not reached by a Sixers player since Chamberlain in the late 1960s.
But Monday's outing, almost from the start, was a different story. At one point in the first half, Embiid had to go back to the locker room to have his ailing knee evaluated.
"I think it's already known," Embiid said, confirming that it was the knee that was bothering him. "No need to explain... I'm just trying to give my best."
Even though the Sixers took an 18-point lead in the first half, their centerpiece was off. He went 0-for-4 in the first quarter and finished 4-for-21, with 17 points for the game.
"I thought that early in the game, when I went back to the locker room, I felt like I didn't have it tonight," Embiid admitted.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Michael Jordan's 0-for-11 first half in Game 4 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat in the worst shooting playoff half against the Miami Heat, he did well with all those misses. was in the company. data.
And as Jordan was apt to do, Embiid still managed to influence the game in other ways, ending with 21 rebounds.
"He didn't have his best night offensively, but he did make some big defensive plays for us throughout the game," said Harris, who led Philadelphia with 20 points. "So, I'm not going to criticize his antics and how he looks one foot or the other. I'm just out there trying to play basketball.
"I mean, he's the most impressive player in the game, making a shot or not making a shot. We know what he brings to this team, and I know he'll be back in the next game."
Without calling anyone out, Sixers coach Doc Rivers opened fire on his team during his postgame remarks.
"We went back to hero basketball. Everyone wanted to be heroes, not just rely on the team, trust each other," he said. "When you do that, you usually lose, especially when the other team knocks you out of the whole f--ing game."
Embiid is gearing up for Wednesday's match in Philadelphia, with the series now on a best-of-three scenario.
"It was a great opportunity. But it happened," he said. "Can't change that. Gotta go to game 5."