"Olajuwon would have chased Jimmy Butler down" - Fans berate Joel Embiid's 'crying' to ref over missed call
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers endured their 11th loss of the season on Monday, falling to the Miami Heat 106-89. Fans criticized Embiid for a lack of effort during a first-quarter play where Jimmy Butler stripped him of the ball.
Less than five minutes into the game, Jared McCain passed the ball to Embiid, but Butler challenged him as he received it, completing a steal and scoring a breakaway dunk.
Instead of pursuing Butler, Joel Embiid immediately turned to complain to the referee, allowing Butler to score two easy points. Fans were quick to call out Embiid's reaction, pointing out his tendency to complain rather than focus on defense. One fan remarked:
“Hakeem Olajuwon would have chased Jimmy Butler down and blocked his shot. Embiid will never be that caliber of player, no matter what the statistics say.”
“Not even a foul to complain about,” another said.
“That's normal Embiid,” another added.
Here are other reactions to the play:
"Embiid is an OVERRATED player. Change my mind, one said.
"No wonder ratings down,” another said.
"Embiid’s frustration got the best of him, but it cost him on defense. Gotta stay locked in,” another added.
Joel Embiid struggles as 76ers fall to Heat
In his third game of the season, Joel Embiid logged 22 minutes, finishing with 11 points on 11 shots, eight rebounds, five assists, two turnovers and a minus-22 rating — the second worst in the game. The 76ers dropped to a league-worst 2-11 record in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid’s 11 points marked a season low. He scored 13 points on 2-for-11 shooting in his season debut against the New York Knicks and 20 points on 5-for-15 shooting against the Orlando Magic.
His 5-for-11 performance against Miami was his most efficient outing in an otherwise rocky start to the season.
Jared McCain led Philadelphia with 20 points on 50% shooting, continuing his strong play as a starter. Meanwhile, Paul George struggled, managing 18 points on 38.5% shooting from the field and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.
For the Heat, Jimmy Butler shined in his return, posting a season-high 30 points, along with 10 rebounds and five assists. Bam Adebayo contributed 13 rebounds but was limited to five points. Tyler Herro added 18 points for Miami.
The struggling Sixers will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday before taking on the Brooklyn Nets in an Emirates NBA Cup matchup on Friday. On Sunday, they’ll face Paul George’s former team, the LA Clippers.