Video: Joel Embiid Says Jayson Tatum's Celtics Are NBA's 'Best Team' After 76ers Loss

Joel Embiid is not allowing the schedule to serve as an excuse for the Philadelphia 76ers' two-game losing streak.

Embiid was held to a season-low 20 points in Wednesday's 117-107 loss to the Boston Celtics, one night after he scored 39 in a six-point loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"We're professional athletes, That's the schedule; you just gotta do it," Embiid said. "But yeah, tough. Especially playing Indiana twice and then on a back-to-back, playing the best team in the league, it's tough. But no excuses."

Boston's win over the Sixers put the Celtics into first place in the Eastern Conference at 9-2. The Celtics also have by far the NBA's best point differential, outscoring their opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions. They rank third in scoring and second in defense, making them the most complete team in the sport.

Embiid's general point about the Celtics being the best team in the East may be a surprise coming from a rival, but it's also just facts. Boston's offseason acquisitions of Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday fortified a core that has already reached at least the conference finals in three of the last four seasons.

FanDuel Sportsbook also has the Celtics listed as +370 favorites to win the NBA championship.

The Celtics have eliminated the Sixers three times in Embiid's career, so there's a fair amount of self-awareness coming from the league MVP in this instance.