Joel Embiid savaged amid 'awful' NBA scenes: 'So out of shape'

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has come under fire from NBA fans after a sub-par performance in his side's heartbreaking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Embiid was surprisingly ineffective for the Sixers as his side slumped to a second straight defeat to start the new season, going down to the highly fancied Bucks, 90-88.

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With Embiid struggling to find any sort of rhythm and consigned to the bench for lengthy periods, it was left to superstar new recruit James Harden to try and pull something out of the fire for Philly.

Fortunately for Sixers coach Doc Rivers, Harden (22 second-half points) was up to the task and orchestrated a 13-0 run that helped the Sixers back into the contest, while Embiid sat on the bench.

The best player on the floor in a losing effort, Harden finished with a game-high 31 points to go with nine assists and eight rebounds.

In contrast, Embiid managed 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, but shot at a woeful 28.6% accuracy after making just six of 21 shots from the floor.

Embiid looked to be way off the pace in the early season litmus test, with the Sixers superstar enduring a horrible second half at the Wells Fargo Center.

The 28-year-old went scoreless in the second period after going zero from seven from the floor, with Embiid conceding three turnovers after being ruthlessly contained by the one-two punch of Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Embiid refused to speak to media afterwards, with Sixers coach Doc Rivers admitting he "just didn’t have a great game".

"He’s human. He didn’t have one of his better games. He did a lot of other things for us tonight. I thought, defensively, he was pretty good tonight," Rivers said.

Basketball fans took to social media to express their disbelief over the "awful" performance from Embiid, with many observing that he looked "out of shape" to start the new season.

Bucks hold off fast-finishing Sixers

Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton and new Australian signing Joe Ingles all watched from the casualty ward as two Eastern Conference heavyweights traded blows early at Wells Fargo Center.

Both sides came up with some clunky play at the offensive end but the Bucks looked set to go on the contest when they opened up a game-high 12-point lead, the product of some sloppy Sixers shooting in the third quarter.

Harden's second half surge changed the momentum for the home side as the former Brooklyn Nets sharp-shooter threatened to snatch victory from the Bucks.

It took Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer's subbing in of Antetokounmpo (21 points, 13 rebounds) for the Bucks to snap out of their slump as the stage became set for a tight finish.

After the Bucks reached five team fouls, PJ Tucker hit two free-throws to give the Sixers a late two-point lead.

But when Tobias Harris was caught out of position on the defensive end in the dying seconds, Bucks veteran Wesley Matthews hit an open three to secure victory.

The game's lone Australian, Philadelphia star Matisse Thybulle, saw only 18 seconds on the floor as the Sixers began their season 0-2.

with AAP

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