We do not know if Joel Embiid, the Cameroonian pivot of the Philadelphia Sixers, will have a future in the France team which he wishes to join for the 2024 Olympics. But we already know that his NBA season has ended since last night.
Because Jimmy Butler's Miami Heat qualified for the Eastern Conference final, thanks to their victory (99-90) in Philadelphia.
The Floridians, championship finalists in 2020, beaten by the Lakers, won their series 4-2, thus upholding their status as the No. 1 seed, against the Sixers (No. 4) who, like them, do not were aiming for nothing other than the title.
But for that, Joel Embiid would have had to be 100%.
Which he was not.
It is even dented on all sides, between his ligament tear in the right thumb and his fracture in the orbit of the right eye, that he did his best despite obvious discomfort and pain.
Jimmy Butler on top
Anticipating the outcome of this semi-final, the Cameroonian pivot had also mentioned this week “a loser loser situation”.
“If I don't play, I'll probably be called a player who doesn't fight and if I play badly, people will probably say a lot of things like:
he's not good enough
”.
Without demerit (20 points, 12 rebounds), against a Heat defense applied to poison his life (7/23 on shots), like this impressive counter inflicted by Bam Adebayo (10 points, 8 rebounds), he just hasn't been as dominant as he has been this season.
Opposite, Jimmy Butler was in full possession of his means, as evidenced by his 32 points (8 rebounds, 2 blocks).
It was under his leadership that the Heat made the difference in the 3rd quarter (25-15) to then culminate their lead at 20 units at the start of the next one.
“We had to win a game away from home.
We did the job, playing well and defending properly, ”rejoiced the star, well assisted by Max Strus (20 pts, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) in particular.
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