Joel Embiid never imagined he would be held scoreless in an NBA game, but that's exactly what happened Monday as the 76ers center endured a night to forget in a loss to the Raptors.
The two-time All-Star went 0-for-11 from the field and 0-for-3 from the free throw line with four turnovers in Philadelphia's 101-96 loss to the Raptors, who won a Game 7 against the Sixers in the playoffs last year en route to winning their first championship.
Philadelphia jumped out to a 2-1 lead in that series, and Embiid electrified the crowd in Game 3 with a huge dunk and airplane celebration, which Raptors fans mimicked during the first scoreless game of his career.
Raps fans continue to mock Joel Embiid's airplane celebration from the 2019 playoffs. 😂✈️ pic.twitter.com/GgL6K4YhK4
— J.E. Skeets (@jeskeets) November 26, 2019
Raptors fan and Grammy-winning rapper Drake also appeared to mock Embiid by clapping at him from his courtside seat.
Drake was clapping at Joel Embiid who scored zero points against the Raptors 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/VliJQxGuts
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 26, 2019
"I was definitely not fatigued," Embiid, who had been averaging 22.8 points per game prior to the loss, told reporters. "Obviously the defensive scheme, they wanted to try and make sure I didn't touch the ball. That forced me into a lot of tough shots. I never thought I would be here talking about zero points in an NBA game, but it is what it is.
"Some nights you make shots, some nights you don't. Some nights you're hot, some nights you're cold. Different defensive schemes, you've got to learn from it. Try to keep learning and working on your game."
Embiid's previous career low was five points against the Knicks on March 28, 2018, but he logged only nine minutes in that game. He played 32 minutes against the Raptors on Monday night.