Jason Burgos
Philadelphia 76ers great Joel Embiid is getting no sympathy from New York fans and radio hosts when it comes to complaints about the physicality from the New York Knicks in their ongoing playoff series.
On Monday night, the highly anticipated semifinal series between the Knicks and Sixers kicked off at Madison Square Garden. Both teams entered the series on a tear. However, basketball fans only needed three quarters to see that New York was the real team on fire en route to a 137-98 win.
Following the game, to the surprise of no one, Philly big man Joel Embiid complained about the physicality of the Knicks. Specifically, a moment where he was hit in his abdomen during a screen. The knock made him double over in pain because the area is compromised after he had his appendix removed a few weeks ago.
“I felt like it was unnecessary, but we move on. It’s whatever, it’s playoff basketball. If that’s the reality of it, I guess we’ve got to go out and be physical too,” Embiid said.
It’s hard to know if there was any dirty intent by Mikal Bridges on the play. But the claim comes days after Jaylen Brown took shots at Embiid for being a devoted flopper in their series against the Boston Celtics. It’s also a couple of years removed from a series where the center injured Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson with a dirty tactic. Most outside of Philadelphia won’t feel bad for the seven-time All-Star.
You can add popular midday WFAN host and New York Giants great Tiki Barber to that group. On a Tuesday morning edition of the show he co-hosts with Evan Roberts, the one-time NFL star questioned Embiid’s toughness in hilarious fashion.
“If it’s gonna hurt, to physically be hurt, and someone might run into you, accidentally or otherwise, don’t play,” Barber began by saying. “Remember when I had a broken arm in 2000? I had to tape my other arm because they were literally stepping on it, knowing I had a broken arm. I didn’t complain about it. It’s part of the risk of playing hurt. So, stop being a b****.”
It will be interesting if this gets used as bulletin board material in the 76ers locker room before Wednesday’s game or if it gets some “unique” chants from Knicks fans inside MSG for Game 2.
