The Philadelphia 76ers lost Game 2 against the New York Knicks in heartbreaking fashion. This contest was pretty much theirs to lose as they had a five-point lead with 47.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Well, thanks to a wild final push by the Knicks to close out the game, the Sixers are now down 0-2 in this first-round series.
Philadelphia 76ers News: Charles Barkley Calls Out Joel Embiid
A visibly frustrated Joel Embiid spoke to reporters in the locker room after the game as he complained about how the referees missed a couple of crucial calls down the stretch. For Sixers legend Charles Barkley, however, what stood out the most was Embiid’s body language:
“He’s the leader of the team. He’s the best player. He’s one of the best players in the world,” Barkley said. “If your best player got his head down like that… As a leader of the team, he cannot have his head down. He’s got to say, ‘Guys, we’re fine. They did what they’re supposed to do. We got to go home and win Game 3 and 4.”
Clearly, Sir Charles didn’t like what he heard and saw from the Sixers superstar, and he wasn’t shy about calling Embiid out.
Joel Embiid’s Guarantee
To be fair to Embiid, he did come out with a bold guarantee despite their heartbreak in Game 2. According to the reigning NBA MVP, the Sixers are still going to win this series:
“We should be 2-0. We’re good. We’re going to win this series,” he said. “… We’re the better team and we’re going to keep fighting.”
That’s exactly what Barkley wanted to hear from Embiid, and it is clear that the seven-time All-Star’s faith in himself and his team hasn’t faltered. He will need to walk the walk come Game 3 on Thursday.
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