Joel Embiid was not 100% during the 76ers’ Game 4 loss to the Raptors on Sunday.
The 25-year-old center scored just 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds as Philadelphia fell to Toronto 101-96 at the Wells Fargo Center. Embiid revealed after the game he was dealing with an illness.
“I didn’t have a good night,” Embiid told reporters, via KYW Newsradio. “Didn’t sleep. Guess I needed an IV at six in the morning. But, just try to play and try to get the win. Obviously, it wasn’t enough.”
Embiid said he was unsure about his exact diagnosis.
“If you can’t really sleep and you need an IV, it has to be pretty bad,” Embiid said. “But, it doesn’t matter. Once I step on the court, I’ve got to do a better job.”
Joel Embiid felt that even though he was under the weather he’s got to be more aggressive #Sixers pic.twitter.com/Ku4b3g5Tvh
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) May 5, 2019
Despite his struggles from the field, Embiid finished with seven assists, along with two steals and two blocks. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown praised his star’s efforts after the game.
“I got a text from him at 6:20 a.m. this morning telling me he didn’t sleep all night, he really never felt this poorly and he was unsure if he was going to play,” Brown told reporters. “To his complete credit, he just kind of willed his way through. I appreciate and respect his effort to get out there and play for his team.”
Embiid entered the matchup coming off one of his best performances of the playoffs. He tallied 33 points and 10 rebounds in Philadelphia’s Game 3 win.
“I’ve got to be more aggressive,” Embiid said. “Today wasn’t the same as two days ago [in Game 3]. Still got to be aggressive, especially offensively.”
The 76ers and Raptors will face off in Game 5 on Tuesday in Toronto at 8 p.m. They’ll enter that matchup with the series tied at 2-2.