Joel Embiid: Sixers Have to Reach Perfection After Heat Loss

The Sixers aren't perfect, but Joel Embiid thinks his team can get there.

Standing in front of his locker following a tough 101-99 loss against the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid uttered the word “perfect.”

Talking about his team’s last three performances since returning from the All-Star break, Embiid mentioned that in order for the Sixers to reach their goal at the end of the season, they need to be perfect all around.

Singling out Tyrese Maxey as an X-Factor for the Sixers for the second-straight post-game, Embiid then shifted the focus to the rest of the team, including himself.

”We’re not going anywhere unless he contributes, unless he plays well,” Embiid said of Maxey. “He’s one of the main pieces, but that goes for other guys in the locker room, too. For us to win, we’re going to have to be almost perfect. We can’t have nights like these last couple of games. Got to be locked in all game from the start. Not just (Tyrese), but everyone in this locker room.”

The Sixers went through three quarters of Monday’s game trailing the Heat. The rhythm of the game resembled Philadelphia’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies last Thursday when they trailed all way up until the fourth quarter before forming a comeback and winning.

While the Sixers flipped the script in the fourth quarter against the Heat on Monday night, they didn’t finish the game with similar results. With nine seconds left, Heat star Jimmy Butler got his team a 101-99 lead. 

On the final offensive possession for the Sixers, Joel Embiid was looking for the shot but would draw a double-team. After dishing a pass out to an open James Harden, the ten-time All-Star missed his attempt. After the Heat grabbed the rebound with 0.9 seconds left on the clock, the Sixers picked up their second-straight loss, going 1-2 since returning from the break.

The Sixers have fought hard when it counted over the last two games, but they haven’t been perfect. So, how do they get there in the eyes of Embiid?

“I believe in myself,” said the All-Star. “I believe that I put in a lot of work. No freak injuries, and I’ll be fine. I believe that we, as a team, have everything we need. It’s all about us being on point. Everybody doing their job. I’m doing my job, James is doing his job, Tyrese, Tobias, and all the other guys. Our shooters knocking down shots, getting stops… I believe in myself, and I believe in us.”

The Sixers have a lot of work to do after Monday’s loss. They’ll get a chance to rest and re-group on Tuesday before they take the court once again on Wednesday night in Miami for a rematch. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.