76ers’ Joel Embiid savagely roasts Payton Pritchard without even saying his name

The Philadelphia 76ers completed the 3-1 comeback to beat the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. They did so despite being just the seven-seed in the Eastern Conference, and Joel Embiid’s return from an appendectomy procedure played a huge part in the epic comeback.

The Cameroonian center averaged 28 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists once returning to health for Game 4. He was dominant in Game 7, too, as his 34 points were a game high. For Embiid, comments made before his return from Celtics guard Payton Pritchard seemed to serve as motivation.

“I saw #11 on their team, before I came back, he said they didn’t care if I was playing or not, and they hadn’t even adjusted their game plan around me,” Embiid said after Game 7. ” I think it also helps when the other team doesn’t worry about you.”

Using Pritchard’s number, and not his name, illustrated just how frustrated Embiid was that the opposing guard and his team seemingly didn’t put much effort into strategizing for what to do if an MVP-caliber player was on the court.

“I don’t think we talked about it at all,” Pritchard said about game planning for a potential Embiid return ahead of Game 3. “So if he plays, he plays. We’ll figure that out, but it’s not like we’re sitting here worried if he’s playing or not… We haven’t even game-planned for him yet, so we’re focused on who we’re playing.”

The former MVP-winning center is clearly one of the most talented players in the NBA, but he has been sidelined often throughout his career. This first-round upset reminded everyone of just how great he is, as he and his 76ers were all but written off heading into the series. Now, Philadelphia is slated to take on the New York Knicks in round two.

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