Thursday’s Sixers-Jazz game featured one of the most entertaining and compelling individual matchups of the season, when Defensive Player of the Year candidates Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert went at it.
The two centers are known for their gritty, in-your-face defending, and they both resemble old-school big men, rather than the new-age, stretch-the-floor guys that pull up from the perimeter. Embiid and Gobert ply their trade close to the rim, rather than near the three-point arc.
Both players asserted their will in the game, with Embiid still managing a very impressive stat line: 23 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. He shared his thoughts on matching up against Gobert after the game.
Joel Embiid (23 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks) on facing Jazz big man Rudy Gobert: "Oh, I love playing against guys like him. Defensive Player of the Year, I guess." — He made air quotes when he mentioned the award Gobert won. — "I should have gotten that title."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 28, 2018
Embiid cont." "But I love playing against him. He's a great guy, great defender. I have a lot of respect for him. He makes me better every time I play against him. The future matchups are going to be exciting, and I can't wait."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 28, 2018
That’s high praise coming from Embiid, who, more often than not, trolls his counterparts.
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