Joel Embiid avoids media after 76ers blow Game 5

Joel Embiid did not speak with the media after his Philadelphia 76ers choked in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Embiid scored 37 points with 13 rebounds but missed his final three shots and final two free throws of the game. His 76ers blew a 26-point lead and fell 109-106 to the Hawks. 

Embiid’s missed free throws with 10.9 seconds left stood out as a big blunder. The Sixers were down by three and could have made it a one-point game if Embiid hadn’t choked at the line.

The usually affable big man ended up not speaking with the media after the game. This was unusual coming from the biggest media personality on the team. Embiid usually talks with reporters postgame, including after Game 4 when he went viral.

It’s not easy to face tough questions after you’ve screwed up. Embiid knows that, which is why he avoided them entirely. His Sixers now trail 3-2 in the series.

Only Doc Rivers, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris spoke with reporters after the game. Here is what Rivers had to say.