Joel Embiid praises Doc Rivers for changing Sixers’ culture and mentality after ‘The Process’

CHICAGO — Joel Embiid has plenty of praise for Doc Rivers.

As the longest tenured 76er, Embiid has been through The Process and witnessed the negative habits that accompany intentionally losing for multiple seasons. As a result, even after The Process concluded there were some players content with losing select regular-season games.

Not anymore. The Sixers’ loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday struck a chord with them. They also have a similar disdain for trailing by sizable margins.

“When you look at my first couple of years, some games that we came back this year, there was no way we would have come back,” Embiid said. “We would lose one.”

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Nor did the Sixers (49-23) have to worry about losing their sizable lead in Wednesday’s 116-91 victory the Bulls at the United Center.

“To come back and be able to jump a team early, a 20- to 25-point lead, they had no answers,” said Embiid, whose squad improved on keeping leads as the season progressed. “That just shows you the growth. Doc and the coaches deserve a lot of credit.

“They changed not necessarily the culture, but they’ve been on me from the beginning.”

The Sixers coach was hired in October 2020 after he was let go by the Los Angeles Clippers.

In addition to transforming Embiid into an MVP frontrunner, Rivers has elevated the Sixers to the NBA’s best road team. They have the league’s best road record at 23-12, and have won their last seven games away from the Wells Fargo Center.

But Embiid and the Sixers aren’t in the clear yet. Their three remaining opponents on this four-game trip are expected to provide a stiffer challenge than the Bulls (34-38).

They’ll face the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Friday night at the Chase Center before playing the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at the Footprint Center. After a day off, they’ll conclude the trip against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.

Embiid is listed as questionable to play against the Warriors (38-36) after missing the second half of Wednesday’s game with mid-right-calf tightness. James Harden (left Achilles soreness) and Jalen McDaniels (right hip soreness), also questionable after missing Wednesday’s game.

The presence of Embiid and Harden, the Sixers cornerstones would be a bonus. Golden State is coming off Wednesday’s 127-125 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks. It was the Warriors’ first time posting consecutive road wins since the NBA Finals.

However, the victory over the Mavs (36-37) didn’t come without controversy. Dallas owner Mark Cuban plans to protest the loss over an uncontested dunk by Warriors center Kevon Looney amid confusion over which team had possession coming out of a timeout late in the third quarter.

The victory improved Golden State to 9-29 on the road. While they’re one of the league’s worst road teams, the Warriors have one of the best home records at 29-7. On Friday night, one of the two teams will have a streak snapped, as the Warriors have won eight straight home contests.

And the Sixers are expecting a competitive game.

» READ MORE: The Sixers will need clean bill of health — and a little luck — to chart path toward NBA title

“Winners, competitors,” P.J. Tucker said, explaining what comes to his mind when he thinks of Golden State. “Moving the ball, playing together. All the stuff to win.”