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Sixers' Joel Embiid raring to play at Wells Fargo Center

This will be his first game in front of the home crowd since facing the Houston Rockets on Jan. 27.

Sixers’ Joel Embiid dunks against the Wizards.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid dunks against the Wizards.Read more(Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)

Joel Embiid has a love affair with 76ers fans that's hard to duplicate.

The self-proclaimed "man of the people" loves getting bombarded by them while walking city streets or playing in a game. That's why the Sixers center is excited about Friday night's home opener against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. The game will be sold out.

"First of all, Philly fans are passionate and I love that about them," Embiid said. "Just me going out there, playing hard and making plays just to get them off their seat and cheer and yell and just go crazy, I just love that type of atmosphere. It gets me going, too."

Perhaps nothing gets him going more than hearing them chant "Trust The Process" while he's shooting foul shots. Embiid has been known to encourage the crowd to get louder when he thinks it's too quiet.

If he misses the foul shot, Embiid tells himself that he has to make it up for them on the next play. That fuels the franchise center

"I love the excitement," he said. "Since I've been in Philly, I've embraced it and I just love it."

This will be his first time playing in front of the home crowd since Jan. 27 due to suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. That game against the Houston Rockets was actually his last game of the season.

He put on a show.

Embiid finished with team highs of 32 points and seven rebounds to go with four assists, a team-high three steals and a co-team high two blocks. He made all six of his foul shots. He did commit five turnovers. Even with those turnovers, he was the best Sixer on the floor.