Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid got involved in a heated altercation with the two Boston Celtics players early in the third quarter, which led to a dust-up with Celtics guard Marcus Smart that paused the game for a bit while things got settled.
The Celtics went on to beat the Sixers 126-117, and following the game Embiid talked about the incident.
“They had called a foul and I walked away, next thing I know, my foot is getting caught up, and I slipped. Next thing, Jaylen [Brown] was on top of me and I don’t know. Basketball. Emotions, first game of the season, rivalry, Boston-Philly, a lot of intensity. It’s all good,” Embiid said, according to USA Today.
Smart added his take.
“Went for a rebound. Basketball play, went for a steal. My arm’s still stuck in there and he tries to break it. And I’m the only one who gets a tech. Everybody saw it. If I did that, I’m probably ejected, suspended. Three games, four games, fines. … Defending DPOY and what’s how he gets treated? It’s tough. I could have cracked his head open, but I didn’t. That’s the maturity we have,” Smart said.
The season just started and the Celtics/Sixers rivalry is already heated.
