Joel Embiid had ‘mixed feelings’ after Game 2 return – Tim Bontemps | SportsCenter

Jason Tatum, I want to ask you about the newly minted actual MVP, Joel Embiid. How did he feel about his return tonight off the kneespring? Well, Zoo, but I would say there were mixed emotions, not only for Joel Embiid, but the Philadelphia 76ers as a whole. For starters, they got the split here in Boston, right? They go back to Philadelphia with the series tied 1-1, with home court advantage now in their favor. However, they do feel like they let one get away tonight when they obviously got blown out of the house here by the Boston Celtics. As far as Joel Embiid goes, I would say it was mixed feelings for him as well. He felt good moving around on that knee. There really weren't any issues throughout the game. He grabbed at his brace one time during the second quarter. Otherwise, though, he looked like he hadn't missed any time at all. But he was frustrated with the way his team played overall, saying they didn't get two enough loose balls. They didn't get in the same kind of emotion and energy they had in Game 1 when they won and got ahead in this series. And overall, the Sixers just looked a little bit out of sorts, which is obviously understandable given Joel Embiid has been out for a couple of weeks. They didn't seem to be really comfortable getting him the ball where he likes in his typical spots on the floor, around the elbows. Both James Harden and Doc Rivers talked about the fact that their spacing was not the way they wanted it to be. And overall, it just felt clunky. But after the Celtics became the 15th straight team to even a series at 1-1 after losing Game 1 at home, the Sixers' mindset, as Tyrese Maxey said, is to go home and protect home court in Games 3 and 4 this weekend. And we'll see you starting Friday night back at Wells Fargo in Philly. Zubin, if they can do just that. No question. This game will be remembered for an anomaly. Jason Tatum, 7 points, 1 of 7 from the field, 0 for 3 from 3. And the Celtics still come up with one of their biggest postseason wins ever. That's Tim Bontemps. Sixers. Celtics. Like he said, resumes Friday night on ESPN. Thank you for watching ESPN on YouTube. For live streaming sports and premium content, subscribe to ESPN+.