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Halloween night is usually the perfect occasion for tricks and treats. But NBA fans received quite the treat on Wednesday night when an incredibly entertaining scuffle (and aftermath) broke out between Sixers center Joel Embiid and his counterpart on the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns.
The two came to blows during the third quarter Philly's win over Minnesota, and both were ejected after being separated by teammates. Towns was put in a chokehold by Ben Simmons, while Embiid dapped up his teammates on the bench and revved up the crowd by clapping his hands:
However, the beef is far from settled. Embiid and Towns both exchanged words on social media, with Embiid taking to Instagram and Towns responding in kind:
https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1189787414539177990
Despite Embiid's claim that Towns deleted his comment, Towns' manager claims that Embiid did that on his own to draw attention:
https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1189929718239416320
The question is: Embiid or Towns… who ya got?
Research: Towns
Towns clearly wins this round of verbal sparring. For starters, the picture of Joel Embiid crying after Philly's loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals is absolutely priceless.
Secondly, Embiid is simply off base. Although tagging Jimmy Butler was genius (Towns and Butler reportedly butted heads all the time in Minnesota), Towns actually has been to the playoffs, despite Embiid saying that he had “never been there.”
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Also, is losing in the second round really something to gloat about when you play in the East? Embiid and the Sixers have never made it past the conference semis… is that really much of an achievement?
Game/Entertainment: Embiid
It is hard to encapsulate what makes Embiid one of the most entertaining players in the league.
As a 7-footer that plays hard on both ends and can shoot from the outside, he has one of the more unique skill sets in basketball. He takes pride in his African heritage, but he is also one of the most talkative and humorous characters in the NBA.
Towns is equally impressive from a skill standpoint because he an also knock down shots from the perimeter while possessing excellent footwork in the post. But he is not nearly as outspoken as Embiid (yes, despite the awkward Gatorade commercials).
Embiid did not even care that he was being ejected. He relished the spotlight and pumped up the crowd. Of course, he also had the benefit of playing in front of the home fans. Towns just looked angry.
Lastly, it is hard to ignore that Embiid is one of the best players in the league. He scores, rebounds, defends and also has some of the best court vision for a big man. Towns is an excellent offensive player, but he has plenty of work to do defensively.
Future: Both
As fun as this skirmish was and should continue to be, both Embiid and Towns are extremely promising talents to watch for years to come.
Embiid is in a better position in terms of his surroundings, but Towns could be just one other All-Star talent (and some defensive improvements) away from helping the Timberwolves make noise in the West.
We should appreciate and respect both of these youngsters.
