Joel Embiid admits he and James Harden ‘can’t win alone’ after 76ers lose conference semifinals

Philadelphia 76ers center and NBA MVP Joel Embiid has challenged both himself and his teammates to improve following the Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Embiid scored 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting in the 112-88 defeat in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday. 

‘I’ve already started figuring out how I need to get better for next year,’ Embiid said postgame. He also quoted Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

‘I’ve got a pretty good view of what I need to do to be better, to be a better basketball player. To keep improving every single year which I’ve done… Like someone said, “It’s not a failure, you know [there’s] steps to success.”‘

Along with challenging himself, Embiid also challenged the rest of the team when answering a question about fellow superstar James Harden and his potential free agency this summer.

76ers center Joel Embiid challenged himself and his teammates after the loss to Boston Celtics

Embiid noted that him and James Harden cannot win alone since they play a 5-vs-5 game

‘We got a unfinished job. We haven’t won anything, and I think we’ve got the chance to win,’ he added.

‘Obviously going to seven games and having the chance to close out at home which we didn’t do, I still believe we got the chance to win, I think we have what it takes to win,’ Embiid said before mentioning whatever happens with the player option in Harden’s contract was ‘out of his hands’ and he planned to ‘stay out of it.’

‘I still believe that me and him, we got the chance to win but it’s gonna take more than us. We all gotta look at ourselves, I gotta be better and I will be better.

‘All of us we got to find ways to comeback and keep improving and help the team, you can’t win alone. 

‘I can’t win alone. Me and James we just can’t win alone. That’s why basketball is played 5-on-5.’

Harden and Embiid look dejected as they fall to a Game 7 defeat in the semifinal series Sunday

Jayson Tatum starred for the Celtics with 51 points as they reached Eastern Conference Finals

Embiid quoted Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s words after being eliminated

Embiid and the Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs after Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum erupted for a NBA post season Game 7 record 51 points as Boston reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.

One game after missing 14 of his first 15 shots only to awaken in the fourth quarter in time to save their season, Tatum scored 25 in the back-and-forth first half and 17 more in Boston’s 33-10 third quarter that turned a three-point lead into a runaway.

‘It doesn’t matter where you lose. You don’t get the trophy for being second or third or fourth or fifth or sixth,’ Embiid said.

‘Doesn’t matter if you lose in the first round, Finals. There’s only one team that wins and if you didn’t accomplish that, are you gonna be happy for being second? I know I’m not. To me, if I don’t finish first, it is a failure. The rest doesn’t really matter.’