Joel Embiid: 76ers Could've Beaten Giannis, Bucks 'But I Didn't Do a Good Enough Job'

Joel Embiid is taking the blame for the Philadelphia 76ers' 118-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

Speaking to reporters after the game, the reigning NBA MVP said his team "could have won" but he "didn't do a good enough job."

Playing without James Harden, who didn't play in the game as part of his return to competition reconditioning after missing all of the preseason due to his trade request, the Sixers put up a strong effort against a Bucks team showcasing the new pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard for the first time.

Despite trailing by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, the 76ers continued to battle back throughout the game. They scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take a 102-94 lead before the Bucks came back to get the win.

Embiid finished with 24 points, but he had a rough night overall. He shot 9-of-21 from the field, committed a team-high seven turnovers and made just three of eight attempts from the free-throw line.

The 76ers did a good job of containing Antetokounmpo on the offensive end of the court. He was just 10-of-22 from the field and committed seven turnovers. The seven-time All-Star did make up for his lack of efficiency with more offensive rebounds (five) than the entire Sixers team (four).

Lillard was the biggest difference-maker in the game. He scored a game-high 39 points and made all 17 of his free-throw attempts.

There were some encouraging signs for the 76ers in defeat. Tyrese Maxey was terrific with 31 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Tobias Harris and Kelly Oubre Jr. combined to go 17-of-20 from the field and 8-of-9 from three-point range.

While there is going to be some shooting regression from Harris and Oubre going forward, Embiid will surely improve on Thursday's effort in the days and weeks ahead.

The Sixers, at least for one night, looked like they will be okay as the Harden situation plays out. Their next game will be on Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.