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Focused on an NBA playoff push, Joel Embiid says Sixers ‘not worried about Boston or Milwaukee’

Embiid: “We are worried about ourselves. We can get better every single night. We can take this experience that we had [Thursday] and try to be better.”

Sixers center Joel Embiid adjust his jersey against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Philadelphia.
Sixers center Joel Embiid adjust his jersey against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Under the circumstances, it was an obvious question.

The 76ers had just stormed back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies by five points Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Their victory over the Western Conference’s second-best team was their fifth straight win and 14th in the last 17 games.

But the Boston Celtics, the league’s best team, were next on the schedule. And NBA analysts often label the Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, who are second in the East, as the league’s top teams.

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Georges Niang refuses to hold back on Ben Simmons, saying he ‘kinda handicapped us’

Does a game like Thursday night’s prove that the Sixers belong in that conversation?

“We’re not worried about Boston or Milwaukee,” Embiid said. “We are worried about ourselves. We can get better every single night. We can take this experience that we had [Thursday] and try to be better.”

The Sixers (39-19) are three games behind the first-place Celtics (43-17) in the conference standings heading into Saturday’s 8:30 p.m. matchup at the Wells Fargo Center. Boston has won the last three meetings dating back to last season.

This matchup will mark the teams’ first game in Philly since the Celtics won, 135-87, on Feb. 15, 2022.

The Sixers know they’ll have to play better than they did Thursday to beat Boston, but they’re determined to improve their level of play regardless of the opponent.

They made just 6 of 23 shots in the first quarter while surrendering 37 points to the Grizzlies. Stepping up their defense, the Sixers held the Grizzlies to 68 points the rest of the way, and their shooting improved each quarter.

» READ MORE: Sixers vs. Memphis Grizzlies takeaways: Philly’s resiliency; Tobias Harris’ value; Joel Embiid’s elite defense

“As I would like to not be down 17 points every single time, it’s also good to see that we got the quality and we got the right guys to be able to come back from these types of leads,” Embiid said. “You learn something from [Thursday] and you move on.

“But as far as worrying other teams, we don’t. We just focus on ourselves.”

In the Sixers’ last meeting with Boston, a 106-99 drubbing on Feb. 8, Embiid had 28 points and seven rebounds but struggled after a terrific start. James Harden had 26 points and 11 assists as the Sixers fought through 10-of-31 three-point shooting.

And they blew a great opportunity against a Celtics team that began the game without key starters Al Horford (right knee swelling), Marcus Smart (sprained right ankle), and Robert Williams III (sprained left ankle). Then All-Star shooting guard Jaylen Brown suffered a game-ending facial fracture in the first half. The Sixers also did a solid job on All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, who finished with 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

But they were torched by Blake Griffin, who made a season-high five three-pointers on eight attempts while scoring 15 points.

The 13-year veteran got the start in place of Williams. Not respecting his outside shooting, the Sixers left him wide open on the perimeter. Taking advantage, Griffin went 3-for-3 from deep in the first quarter. As a team, the Celtics shot 19-for-35 from deep.

» READ MORE: Sixers’ success through NBA All-Star break will, once again, mean nothing if they can’t flip switch

Griffin, who played for Sixers coach Doc Rivers during his days as a Los Angeles Clipper, was asked if he felt disrespected that the Sixers left him wide open.

“I don’t really take it as disrespect,” he said. “I hurt them. That was their game plan. Obviously, Doc makes that game plan. They didn’t adjust, which has been sort of a thing. No disrespect, though.”

We’ll see what type of adjustments the Sixers will make to better defend Boston’s three-point shooters. And based on Griffin’s comment and the teams’ storied rivalry, the Sixers will likely be motivated to avenge that loss.

But at least publicly, they’ll tell you this is just one of many tough remaining games they’re eager to play.

“I think just playing against tough teams,” Tobias Harris said. “Our schedule is tough. A lot of games in a short amount of time. We need this to prepare us and get us ready mentally and physically. This is a good stretch for us to really embrace it and really come out of this a better group than we started.”