As the Boston Celtics took a commanding lead late in the third quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid took to X to take a bold shot at another team -- the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Did the Bucks give [Boston] the championship?" Embiid posted as Boston took an 80-75 lead into the fourth quarter.
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The Bucks famously traded Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers in return for Damian Lillard in late September 2023, and the Celtics jumped on the opportunity to acquire the veteran guard from Portland in a separate deal a few days later. The C's have benefited tremendously from that move, especially in the playoffs, where Holiday has been excellent and racked up 38 combined points with zero turnovers in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals.
Embiid's post is a bit ironic, as it suggests the Milwaukee Bucks were better competition for Boston than his Sixers, who lost to the New York Knicks in the first round as a No. 7 seed. But it's hard not to think the Bucks are regretting trading Holiday to one of their top rivals in the Eastern Conference, especially after they fell in the first round to the No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers.
Holiday tallied nine points, four rebounds and five assists in Game 3 as Boston withstood a late Mavs run to earn a 106-99 win and take a 3-0 series lead.
