76ers’ Embiid weighs in on Game 3 free-throw discrepancy: ‘I guess it’s good when New York wins’

After the 76ers took half as many free throws as the Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference playoff series, Joel Embiid weighed in.

The Sixers shot 16 foul shots to the Knicks’ 32 in part because of Philadelphia’s “Hack-a-Mitch” philosophy on Mitchell Robinson in New York’s 108-94 victory.

The Knicks have won six straight playoff games by an average of 25.8 points and lead this series 3-0; no NBA team has ever come back from such a deficit (161-0).

“They shot 32 free throws, we had 16,” Embiid told reporters when asked about how the game was officiated. “We’re not a team that shoots a lot of threes. We attack, put the ball on the ground. I don’t know.

“I guess it’s good when New York wins, so we’ve just got to have that mentality of just not fouling, I guess, and being smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they’re going to take advantage of it.”

Knicks star Jalen Brunson took the most foul shots (8-of-9) en route to a game-high 33 points, along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds.

Robinson was second in foul shots (4-of-8), but at one point made two in a row and finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds off the bench, including a monster poster dunk that put Embiid on the floor.

Asked if he would be making the dunk into a poster, Robinson, a truck and country music enthusiast, told reporters he would not because “It don’t got no truck in it.”

It was a tough night all around for Embiid, who returned from ankle and hip injuries only to be booed on his home court. He shot 7-of-17 for 18 points with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 3 turns.

It’s also worth pointing out, as one person on X/Twitter did, that in the Knicks’ Game 1 134-97 blowout win, the Sixers took 34 free throws to the Knicks’ 17.

Embiid, who has never taken the Sixers to the conference finals, is now on the brink of losing in the second round for the sixth straight year.

He’s tied in that department with former teammate James Harden, who has played poorly as his Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten down 0-2 to the Detroit Pistons in that series.

The Knicks and Pistons appear headed for a matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals, while Embiid and Harden appear headed home early again.

Detroit went 3-0 against the Knicks this season, winning by an average of 28 points.

Game 4 of Knicks-Sixers is on Sunday after the NBA Draft Lottery (3:30, ABC).

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