76ers' Joel Embiid addresses free throw disparity after loss to Knicks

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers are on the brink of elimination following a 108-94 loss to the New York Knicks at home in Game 3 on Friday night. The Sixers trail the series now 3-0 and it's a deficit no team has ever rallied from to win a series in NBA history.

There were a lot of factors that led to the Sixers dropping this contest. Rebounding was a big issue as the Knicks won that battle 49-33 and New York shot 50% from the floor compared to 42.9% for Philadelphia. The Knicks also received 28 bench points while the Sixers didn't record a bench point until the fourth quarter.

Free throws were also heavily favored toward the Knicks as they shot 32 compared to just 16 for the Sixers. Joel Embiid shot four free throws on the night while Paul George and Tyrese Maxey didn't attempt a single free-throw.

"Maybe it was let go on our end," Embiid said. "They shot 32 free throws. We had 16, and we're not a team that shoots a lot of 3s. We attack and put the ball on the ground. I guess it’s good when New York wins. So, we just have to have that mentality of just not fouling and being smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they are gonna take advantage of it."

Embiid is, obviously, frustrated. The Sixers had their chances to win this game and get back into the series, but when looking at the previous two games, Philadelphia shot 34 free free throws in Game 1 compared to just 17 for the Knicks, and New York won that game by 39. The Sixers also shot more free throws in Game 2 (28-25) and the Knicks won that game as well.

It comes down to Philadelphia not being able to make enough shots. The Knicks are making theirs, they're winning the rebounding battle, they're getting more from the bench unit, and New York is just all-around playing better than the Sixers. They will have to dig deep in order to avoid elimination and hold off the Knicks in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.