technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. alias => "philadelphia\/\/76ers\/sixers-heat-2018-nba-playoffs-joel-embid-mask"
  3. nid => "793836"
  4. title => "Non-stop drama, a high-tech mask and Joel Embiid's playoff debut "
  5. is_chrome_page => false
  6. article_body => "<p><em><strong>NBC Sports Philadelphia is re-airing Game 3 of the Sixers-Heat 2018 playoff series&nbsp;Sunday night&nbsp;at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>At 26 years old, Joel Embiid has played 19 career playoff games. The lead-up to the first one was full of frustration, drama and angst.<\/p>\n<p>Minutes after the Sixers\u2019 17-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Heat in Game 2, Embiid posted on his Instagram story, \u201cF---ing sick and tired of being babied.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019d been a glum observer from the sidelines that night, still out with an orbital fracture of the left eye he\u2019d sustained in a collision with Markelle Fultz on March 28, and had seen his teammates cool off from three-point range and allow a 36-year-old Dwyane Wade&nbsp;to score 28 points. Embiid wanted to play, thought he should be permitted to and figured it couldn\u2019t hurt to let the world know how he felt.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Not for the first time \u2014 and certainly not for the last, either \u2014 Brett Brown found himself fielding awkward questions about how his players were being handled medically.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe just wants to play basketball,\" he&nbsp;said at the podium. \u201cHe wants to be with his team, he wants to play in front of the fans and he wants to see this through. When he\u2019s not able to do that, he gets frustrated, and I respect his frustrations. \u2026 I do know the spirit he delivered that [Instagram story] you just talked about reflects my conversations with him.<\/p>\n<p>\"It\u2019s completely driven by team, competitiveness, I want to play basketball, that type of feeling more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to a high-tech, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/2018\/04\/20\/joel-embiid-mask-science-injury-nba-playoffs-76ers-heat\" target=\"_blank\">customized mask with goggles that was made of polypropylene and embedded carbon fiber filaments<\/a>, Embiid was cleared for Game 3 in Miami, resembling the&nbsp;\"Batman\"&nbsp;villain Bane and the rapper MF&nbsp;Doom. The mask was an unavoidable nuisance \u2014 Embiid removed it from his face on free throws \u2014 but it allowed him to play basketball again, shifting the drama from social media to the court.<\/p>\n<p>Embiid tossed the mask up in the air, spiked it on the floor and generally didn\u2019t treat the device with much reverence. Head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson got a good amount of screen time as the Sixers\u2019 medical staff ran repairs and ferried masks out to Embiid. Justise Winslow was not amused by the situation. When he saw the mask lying on the ground around the foul line at one point in the second quarter, he stepped on it, then unsuccessfully tried to break it with his hands.<\/p>\n<p>\"He kept throwing it on the ground.&nbsp;I don't know if he didn't like it or what,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/miami-heats-justise-winslow-fined-15k-stepping-joel-embiids-mask\" target=\"_blank\">Winslow, who was later fined $15,000 for the incident, told reporters<\/a>. \u201cI was talking to JoJo, we were smack talking, trash talking, going back and forth. No love lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The back-and-forth with Winslow seemed to invigorate Embiid, though he probably didn\u2019t require any additional fuel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLittle do they know, I have about 50 of them,\u201d he said to reporters in Miami. \u201cIt\u2019s going to take much more than that to get me out of the series. It\u2019s going to be a nightmare for them, too.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It was a casually bold prognostication, and also not an entirely outrageous one. The Sixers sprinted away from the Heat in Game 3, turning a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter into a 20-point win. They were, without a doubt, the better team when Embiid played.<\/p>\n<p>We haven\u2019t actually mentioned anything yet about how Embiid played. If he didn\u2019t have a black mask shielding his face, the cliched (but accurate) description of his performance would be that he looked like himself. Embiid had 23 points in 30 minutes, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He made three threes, drew 15 free throws and protected the rim well,<a href=\"https:\/\/stats.nba.com\/game\/0041700123\/defense\/\" target=\"_blank\"> limiting Heat players to 4 for 14 shooting<\/a> on field goals he defended.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mask on or mask off, regular season or playoffs, he was clearly going to be the main story more often than not.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe and rate Sixers Talk:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fid1193293445\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fmusic%2Flisten%3Fauthuser%26u%3D0%23%2Fps%2FIlmsv7yqtikw5y7krsss4yritkm\">Google Play<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F06d2501p3gqUOlKramp84G\">Spotify<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stitcher.com%2Fpodcast%2Fnbc-sports-philadelphia%2Fzoos-views%3Frefid%3Dstpr\">Stitcher<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fart19.com%2Fshows%2Fsixers-talk-a-philadelphia-76ers-podcast\">Art19<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/slack-redir.net\/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\">YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/sixers-talk-a-philadelphia-76ers-podcast\/episodes\/e9a599b3-0147-48bc-b5d6-92deac40704d\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br><br><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&amp;creative_id=nbcsphi1356&amp;cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&amp;cp_1=washington&amp;cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&amp;cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Sixers<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/jim-lynam-charles-barkley-trade-sixers-joel-embiid-ben-simmons\">Lynam laments Barkley trade, says it should serve as lesson for current Sixers&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/joel-embiid-josh-harris-sixers-penn-medicine-covid-19-antibody-testing\">Embiid, managing partners fund COVID-19 antibody testing of healthcare workers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/kobe-bryant-basketball-hall-of-fame-tim-duncan-kevin-garnett\">Kobe Bryant, other NBA greats elected into Hall of Fame&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-smother-wizards-road-win-nba2k-simulation-tobias-harris-al-horford\">Sixers smother Wizards in rare road win in NBA 2K simulation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/jim-lynam-sixers-talk-podcast-moses-malone-julius-erving-maurice-cheeks-basketball-hall-of-fame\">Jim Lynam recalls when Malone stunned him, Erving\u2019s class, relationship with Cheeks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
  7. author => "Noah Levick"
  8. mps => {"author":"Noah Levick","league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}
  9. published => "1586100900"
  10. created => "1586100482"
  11. changed => "1586101932"
  12. status => "1"
  13. hero_image_credit => "AP Images\/Lynne Sladky"
  14. tags => [{"tid":"2591","name":"NBA Playoffs","url":"tags\/nba-playoffs"},{"tid":"6056","name":"Miami Heat","url":"tags\/miami-heat"},{"tid":"526","name":"Philadelphia 76ers","url":"tags\/philadelphia-76ers"},{"tid":"4646","name":"Noah Levick","url":"tags\/noah-levick"}]
  15. section => "76ers"
  16. team => "Philadelphia Sixers"
  17. image => {"uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2020\/04\/05\/mask-slide.jpg","alt":"mask-slide.jpg","title":"Joel Embiid and mask put league on notice in his first playoff game"}
  18. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/video\/joel-embiid-and-mask-put-league-notice-his-first-playoff-game"
  19. is_mediaid => true
  20. mediaid => "3vqZOYPTjsIB"
  21. video_autoplay => true
  22. video_automute => false
  23. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  24. player_id => "philly_article"
  25. chrome_data => "{\"league\":\"\",\"sport\":\"\",\"sponsor\":\"\"}"
  26. sponsor => ""
  27. region => "philadelphia"
  28. fb_url => "https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=1811037219016879&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2F76ers%2Fsixers-heat-2018-nba-playoffs-joel-embid-mask&display=popup"
  29. tw_url => "https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Non-stop%20drama%2C%20a%20high-tech%20mask%20and%20Joel%20Embiid%27s%20playoff%20debut%20&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2F76ers%2Fsixers-heat-2018-nba-playoffs-joel-embid-mask&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2F76ers%2Fsixers-heat-2018-nba-playoffs-joel-embid-mask"
  30. mailto => "mailto:?subject=Non-stop%20drama%2C%20a%20high-tech%20mask%20and%20Joel%20Embiid%27s%20playoff%20debut%20&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2F76ers%2Fsixers-heat-2018-nba-playoffs-joel-embid-mask"
  31. tags_hide => []
  32. type => "article"
  33. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-heat-2018-nba-playoffs-joel-embid-mask.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2020\/04\/05\/mask-slide.jpg"]}
  34. orig_image => {"uri":"public:\/\/2018\/04\/20\/mask-slide.jpg","alt":"mask-slide.jpg","title":"Joel Embiid and mask put league on notice in his first playoff game"}
  35. article_type => "article"
76ers

76ers

NBC Sports Philadelphia is re-airing Game 3 of the Sixers-Heat 2018 playoff series Sunday night at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia. 

At 26 years old, Joel Embiid has played 19 career playoff games. The lead-up to the first one was full of frustration, drama and angst.

Minutes after the Sixers’ 17-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Heat in Game 2, Embiid posted on his Instagram story, “F---ing sick and tired of being babied.” 

He’d been a glum observer from the sidelines that night, still out with an orbital fracture of the left eye he’d sustained in a collision with Markelle Fultz on March 28, and had seen his teammates cool off from three-point range and allow a 36-year-old Dwyane Wade to score 28 points. Embiid wanted to play, thought he should be permitted to and figured it couldn’t hurt to let the world know how he felt. 

Not for the first time — and certainly not for the last, either — Brett Brown found himself fielding awkward questions about how his players were being handled medically. 

“He just wants to play basketball," he said at the podium. “He wants to be with his team, he wants to play in front of the fans and he wants to see this through. When he’s not able to do that, he gets frustrated, and I respect his frustrations. … I do know the spirit he delivered that [Instagram story] you just talked about reflects my conversations with him.

 

"It’s completely driven by team, competitiveness, I want to play basketball, that type of feeling more than anything.”

Thanks to a high-tech, customized mask with goggles that was made of polypropylene and embedded carbon fiber filaments, Embiid was cleared for Game 3 in Miami, resembling the "Batman" villain Bane and the rapper MF Doom. The mask was an unavoidable nuisance — Embiid removed it from his face on free throws — but it allowed him to play basketball again, shifting the drama from social media to the court.

Embiid tossed the mask up in the air, spiked it on the floor and generally didn’t treat the device with much reverence. Head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson got a good amount of screen time as the Sixers’ medical staff ran repairs and ferried masks out to Embiid. Justise Winslow was not amused by the situation. When he saw the mask lying on the ground around the foul line at one point in the second quarter, he stepped on it, then unsuccessfully tried to break it with his hands.

"He kept throwing it on the ground. I don't know if he didn't like it or what,” Winslow, who was later fined $15,000 for the incident, told reporters. “I was talking to JoJo, we were smack talking, trash talking, going back and forth. No love lost.”

The back-and-forth with Winslow seemed to invigorate Embiid, though he probably didn’t require any additional fuel.

“Little do they know, I have about 50 of them,” he said to reporters in Miami. “It’s going to take much more than that to get me out of the series. It’s going to be a nightmare for them, too.” 

It was a casually bold prognostication, and also not an entirely outrageous one. The Sixers sprinted away from the Heat in Game 3, turning a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter into a 20-point win. They were, without a doubt, the better team when Embiid played.

We haven’t actually mentioned anything yet about how Embiid played. If he didn’t have a black mask shielding his face, the cliched (but accurate) description of his performance would be that he looked like himself. Embiid had 23 points in 30 minutes, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He made three threes, drew 15 free throws and protected the rim well, limiting Heat players to 4 for 14 shooting on field goals he defended. 

Mask on or mask off, regular season or playoffs, he was clearly going to be the main story more often than not. 

Subscribe and rate Sixers Talk: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | YouTube

 



Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

More on the Sixers