76ers star defies haters with hot start in Olympic quarterfinal

The French crowd booed him. Charles Barkley called him out of shape. Joel Embiid used it as motivation.

Embiid started hot in Team USA’s quarterfinal matchup with Brazil on Tuesday. He scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first half as the Americans took a 63-36 lead into halftime, closing the first half on a 15-0 run.

French fans have booed Embiid repeatedly during the Paris Olympics, upset at his decision to play for Team USA instead of the country that gave him naturalized citizenship two years ago. But Embiid plays in Philadelphia, the booing capital of the United States, if not the world.

For an athlete who regularly plays in the City of Brotherly Love, booing that doesn’t come alongside thrown batteries or rotten fruit barely registers. Embiid started 5-for-6 from the field, making all three of his first-half three-pointers. He also played a team-high 11:31 in the first half, showing he’s at least in Olympic shape.

The former MVP got a lot of help from LeBron James, who delivered eight assists in the first half, to go with his 10 points and three steals. After Embiid was fouled in the final seconds, James found Jayson Tatum for an emphatic close to the half.

With its commanding lead, Team USA looks poised for a rematch with Serbia in the semifinals. In its opening game of group play, the United States won 110-84.

Against Nikola Jokic, Team USA will need a solid game from Embiid. And perhaps more motivating boos.