76ers' Joel Embiid on Raptors defense: 'They just play recklessly'

Joel Embiid will be facing a familiar foe when the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors meet for a seven-game series in the first round of the NBA playoffs. 

In six seasons, Embiid has played against the Raptors in 17 regular-season games as well as an Eastern Conference Semifinals series in 2019 that ended with a game-winning buzzer-beater from Toronto's Kawhi Leonard in Game 7.

Embiid, 28, says all that experience against the Raptors means he knows exactly what to expect when the playoffs begin for the 76ers on Saturday, and he isn't too worried about it.

"The way they defend me has never changed," Embiid said Thursday, via PhillyVoice. "They just play recklessly, sending three guys on me as soon as the ball is in the air. Which, that made me better, honestly, over the years. Just playing against them and watching them, they definitely made me a better playmaker."

Embiid has averaged 21.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in regular-season games against the Raptors. Three years ago, he recorded 17.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during the playoff series against Toronto. This season, Embiid won the NBA scoring title with more than 30 points per game.

The Raptors finished the season seventh in the NBA in points allowed, and both Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet finished top 10 in the league in steals per game.