- Oct 16, 2026
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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid voiced opposition to the idea of roster sacrifice following Friday's preseason finale against Boston.
"I'm against the concept of sacrificing," Embiid said. He added that he does not believe any player has to take a back seat.
Embiid finished with 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in 29 minutes against the Celtics, who rested several rotation regulars. Philadelphia still fell in the exhibition contest. The performance marked a bounce-back for Embiid after struggling in his preseason debut versus Brooklyn.
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown offered a measured assessment of his own team's status, noting they are not where they want to be yet.
The Sixers face a quick turnaround to the regular season, opening Tuesday against the Knicks. Commenters have raised concerns about Philadelphia's undefined roles, defensive issues and rebounding. Some observers contrasted the Sixers' new group with the Knicks, which brings its full team back.
Source: Hoops Rumors - Sun Oct 18, 3:50 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).