Joel Embiid's Bold Statement Following 76ers' Win vs Celtics

76ers big man remains confident despite team's rocky start.

Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) interacts with fans during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Entering this season, the Philadelphia 76ers were expected to be among the biggest threats in the Eastern Conference. However, a laundry list of injuries resulted in a rocky start that saw them near the bottom of the standings. Despite how bleak things looked at the start, they've managed to slowly turn things around in recent weeks.

On Christmas Day, the Sixers picked up arguably their biggest win of the year thus far. Facing off against the defending champion Boston Celtics on their floor, Joel Embiid and company were able to walk out with a 118-114 win. The former MVP had a minor hiccup after rolling his ankle to pre-game warmups, but was still able to contribute with 27 points and nine rebounds.

After the game, Embiid was asked his thoughts on the Sixers as they continue to stockpile wins. Even with the sluggish start, he is still confident this group has a lot of room to grow.

"We got a high ceiling," Embiid told reporters postgame. "It's all about us putting it together. I don't think that was close to our best basketball, but we got a pretty good chance. So it's all about looking for some luck, and staying healthy."

beep beep! big fella coming through! 🚗 pic.twitter.com/8eNQvWeo0n

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 25, 2024

With this victory, the Sixers are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are knocking on the door of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They are only a half-game out of 10th place, and trail the sixth place Miami Heat by just four games.

It took longer than many might have wanted, but the Sixers are slowly starting to look like they team they were expected to be coming out of the gates. Like Embiid said, if this group can stay healthy, they can a chance to climb out of the deep hole they found themselves in a month ago.