Joel Embiid laments latest 76ers’ loss: ‘Maybe Philadelphia is cursed’

Joel Embiid is setting NBA records.

And not in a good way.

After getting swept out of the NBA playoffs by the red-hot Knicks, 144-114, Embiid and the 76ers have now lost in the second round in their last six playoff appearances, an NBA record.

He is the only former MVP to never make the conference finals, according to ESPN.

“I feel like I still played as hard as I could,” Embiid told reporters. “I fought hard, I tried to give us a better chance to win. Didn’t happen, so I look at myself and I gotta be better.

“Maybe I’ve got to go to church more so I don’t have those type of things [injuries] right before the playoffs. I don’t know, maybe I’m cursed. I don’t know.

“Maybe Philadelphia’s cursed, I don’t know. That’s a joke, but just gotta keep doing the right things over and over and hope that at some point it changes.”

Embiid’s former 76ers’ teammate James Harden has lost in the second round five straight years, and would tie Embiid if his Cleveland Cavaliers don’t come back to beat the Detroit Pistons, who lead that series 2-1.

There wasn’t much the Sixers could do on Sunday against the Knicks, who have won seven straight playoff games and are +194 points through 10 games.

New York made 25 3-pointers, 18 in the first half to tie an NBA playoff record.

The performance thrilled the pro-Knicks crowd, who taunted Embiid with photos of him getting dunked on by Mitchell Robinson in Game 3.