Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia 76ers are starting to resemble the team it was supposed to look like in theory. Having already won eight of their last 11 outings, they have climbed to 11th place in the East with a 11-17 record, and are now only four games away from the sixth seed in the conference.
Philly’s most recent win was most especially impressive. Facing a hostile crowd, the 76ers stole Christmas from the defending champions and escaped Boston with a rousing road victory, sending a strong reminder to everyone that with a relatively intact roster, they are indeed a force to be reckoned with despite their sluggish start to the season.
Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Caleb Martin stood out for the 76ers against the Celtics as the team also got solid contributions from nearly everyone else. Clearly, the club should have no issues racking up even more wins to bolster their case as long as the injury bug does not strike them hard, although that is admittedly a dicey proposition.
NBA levies heavy penalty on Joel Embiid, manifesting hidden agenda against the 76ers
However, while it may not really ultimately matter, it seems like the 76ers are not leaving Boston without any baggage. The NBA had just imposed a $75,000 fine on Joel Embiid for apparently making obscene gestures on the hardwood during the team’s Christmas Day matchup with the Celtics.
Talk about a lame and unwarranted move.
League officials have repeatedly given Philadelphia a short leash with just about everything this season, and this one is just another day in the office in that regard. Joe Dumars and company seem to be too blinded by the actual histrionics without really accounting for the why’s.
That the leader of the pack for a struggling team is showing emotion in front of a hostile crowd while winning on Christmas against the defending champions is perfectly intheme with human emotion. To hold otherwise would be disingenuous or just being a flat-out hater.
At this point, the Philadelphia 76ers should just completely ignore these interventions and continue playing with passion, especially given their recent turnaround. Joel Embiid in particular has to continue converting his frustration into MVP-level play — the only surefire impetus that would keep the team relevant in the championship discussion no matter what happens around the team.
Alas, drawing from the words of Klay Thompson circa 2016, I think their feelings just got hurt.