Joel Embiid Returns to Form for Philadelphia In ‘Do-or-Die’ Win

Facing elimination and an offseason rife with speculation were the Philadelphia 76ers to lose, Joel Embiid bounced back to lead a 112-101 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night and force a decisive Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After slogging through Philadelphia's losses in Games 4 and 5 as the Sixers fell behind in the series 3-2, Embiid looked as if he hadn't quite shaken his upper respiratory infection in the first half of Game 6. He was 1-for-8 from the field, and while the Sixers held a 15-point lead at the break, he hadn't put his stamp on the game.

Embiid finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes (the most he has played in a game this postseason), as well as a plus-minus of plus-40, the best mark by a player in this season's playoffs.

They'll play again on Sunday with a chance to bring the Sixers franchise to the conference finals for the first time in 18 years.

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