PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid is a finalist for Most Valuable Player, but he’s certainly the league’s most irresistible force — a magnet on one end, a plague on the other.
Bodies swarm to him when he has the ball, and eyes are obsessed with him when he doesn’t, opponents desperate to avoid the eclipse he presents defensively.
There’s never too much attention placed on a figure so important, which makes it even more crucial that some strategy, any strategy, works.
Nothing did on Monday.
Embiid’s 31 points and 11 rebounds powered the Philadelphia 76ers to a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors with a 112-97 win at Wells Fargo Center, under the backdrop of Raptors head coach Nick Nurse throwing down the gauntlet in the time between Saturday’s series opener and Monday.
Nurse was so concerned with Embiid’s orbit he doubled and tripled down on off-day rhetoric, almost daring the officials to call a fair game — from his eyes. If he planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the officials, it couldn’t hurt.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Twelve free throws in 12 first-quarter minutes later, Nurse would soon find out, especially after challenging his players to be more physical.
Big Bank take Little Bank.
Every Raptor who tried a hand at Embiid wound up in foul trouble — and Embiid was well aware of the emphasis on a more physical treatment, drawing a double technical with OG Anunoby for pushing each other during a dead ball.
As the clock ticked away, Nurse and Embiid engaged in some words along the Raptors’ sideline.
“I’ve always been a big fan [of Nurse], but I told him, respectfully … to stop bitching about calls, because I saw what he said last game,” Embiid said. “If you’re going to triple-team somebody all game, they’re bound to get to the free-throw line.”
Nurse issued Embiid a heavy compliment, and chalked up the exchange to two competitors competing. He claims Embiid said, “ ‘I’m gonna keep making all my free throws if you keep…