76ers’ Joel Embiid on Nets superstar Kevin Durant: ‘I respect him a lot’
The Philadelphia 76ers pulled out an impressive road win on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
Near the end of regulation, 76ers star center Joel Embiid stamped the victory with crucial shots that led him to wave the Nets players off the court.
Following the game, Embiid voiced that he was simply returning the favor to Kevin Durant as he did that to the 76ers two weeks ago.
“That’s the best team in the conference. Obviously I respect him a lot,” Embiid said via ESPN, before adding with a wry smile, “I mean, judging by the way he was acting last time, that’s the same thing he told us.
“Basically, I returned the favor.”
Despite missing star point guard Kyrie Irving, the Nets have remained in the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Much of which has come due to Durant’s stellar play, as he’s been the team’s driving force.
The two-time NBA champion has been putting together an MVP-caliber campaign, leading the league with 29.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 52.4% from the floor and 38.1% from beyond the arc.
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His play has been critical to the Nets’ strong start as he’s shown he’s entirely past his torn Achilles tendon injury. Meanwhile, the 76ers are hoping to make more ground on Brooklyn behind Embiid’s play.
The star center is putting together another impressive campaign as he’s averaging a double-double with 26.3 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 46.8% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc. The 76ers will need Embiid to continue to perform at an elite level if they hope to make a deep playoff push.
