“We didn’t follow the game plan”

James Harden and the 76ers’ bad chemistry

BY HENRY ABBOTT

Joel Embiid started Game 5 with a torn thumb ligament and a mask because of a recent collision that caused him a concussion and broken eye-socket bone. MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES

Late in the third quarter, once the Heat were truly blowing out the 76ers in Game 5, TNT’s Chris Haynes said:

I noticed something about Joel Embiid at shootaround this morning. It seems like his energy level has been low. He stayed away from teammates, he stayed sat off to himself. He didn’t really speak to anybody. I went and had a brief chat. It was small talk. Didn’t know if he was just mad at the MVP, but if you look at this game right here, his energy level has been low.

Haynes added: “I did talk to a Sixers staffer; they said he’s not sick from what they know.”

This picked up a theme Charles Barkley had hammered at halftime.

“Joel Embiid,” he declared, “is so distracted by this MVP thing, he’s not there tonight. He’s got six points but he’s not been aggressive; he’s throwing the ball away.” 

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