There might not be a team and a fanbase having a harder time watching the 2019 NBA Finals than the Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors’ Eastern Conference Semifinal foes were so maddeningly close to taking down Toronto and possibly beating Milwaukee en route to the NBA Finals, but a brutal Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena and Kawhi Leonard hitting the walk-off shot to end all walk-off shots spelled doom for Philly.
Fast forward to Friday night, and Joel Embiid is still not fully over the loss. After the Raptors knocked off the hobbled Golden State Warriors, 105-92, to take a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals, Embiid took to Twitter and summed up what he was feeling in one word.
REGRETS
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 8, 2019
Embiid’s main regret, it appears, was not paying more attention to his health during the series.
One hand wash away lmao
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 8, 2019
The big man suffered from a strange illness that hampered him for much of the series — it was never quite clear exactly what it was, but some type of virus, mixed with physical defense from Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, led to him never quite looking like himself, save for a dominant performance in Game 3. It’s debatable whether the Sixers would find themselves up 3-1 on the Warriors at this exact point, just like it’s debatable whether they’d get past Milwaukee, but at the very least, we can all agree that washing your hands is very important.
