Joel Embiid Told Drake The Sixers Would Be ‘Back’ In Toronto For Game 7

TORONTO — Joel Embiid didn’t have the best night of his life in Hog Town on Tuesday night. Not only was the Sixers forward suffering from the effects of an upper respiratory injury that clearly impacted his play, he had to deal with the Toronto crowd reveling in every opportunity to show him up.

First there was Kawhi Leonard’s triumphant dunk to end the first half, which saw Embiid take a hard screen to jar Leonard free and clear him for takeoff. Then there were other indignities, such as the jeers and cheers that came with his every turnover and missed shot. And later, when the game was clearly Toronto’s and Embiid left the floor for good, Raptors fans took the opportunity to mimic his airplane celebration that came with a dunk Embiid threw down late in Game 3 to seal the win for the Sixers.

Fans mimicked that celebration as he left the floor, including rapper and Raptors superfan Drake, who was sitting courtside on Tuesday night.

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Embiid said later he didn’t notice the airplanes in the crowd, but he did have a message for Drake as he left the court on Tuesday. It appeared from video taken courtside that the 7-footer told the rapper the Sixers would be “back” in Toronto for a Game 7.

Asked about it in postgame, Embiid at first deflected and talked about how he can’t control what the crowd does, he can only do his best on the floor.

“We definitely going to do everything,” Embiid said. “I’m gonna find ways.”

He later, however, did confirm that he told Drake that he’d be “back,” which is certainly a tall order given his current health and the way the Sixers played on Tuesday. If anyone can have a bigger impact on swinging Game 6 in Philadelphia’s favor, it’s Embiid. There’s just a lot of uncertainty about whether he can be healthy enough to be the dominant big man the Sixers have needed so often this season.