Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand has given his two cents on the brawl that went down on Wednesday night between Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid and Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
As expected, the high-ranking official is taking the side of his prized star, saying that it was actually Towns who provoked Embiid:
Sources: Sixers and Brand are communicating to the NBA that they believe KAT was the aggressor in the scuffle with Joel Embiid. Also, they've "doubled-down" on referee assessment that Simmons was peacemaker — and delivered that message to league office too. https://t.co/JOdGrWgeiC
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2019
Brand and the Sixers are also adamant that Ben Simmons did not attack Towns, and that his UFC-style headlock on the Wolves superstar was nothing more than an attempt to prevent the fight from further escalating.
Furthermore, Brand also stated that while he does not condone any type of violence, he understands why Embiid and Towns reacted the way the did in the heat of the moment:
Sixers GM Elton Brand: "First and foremost, we obviously don’t condone the altercation that happened last night.
As a former player, I have experienced situations like that in the past. I understand how our players reacted in the moment. I have their backs."— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2019
This issue is not going to die down anytime soon, and it would not be surprising if both Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns are sanctioned with some form of suspension following their involvement in the melee. Ben Simmons could see some discipline as well.
To make matters worse, both guys have been going at it on social media, with neither willing to back down. Embiid and Towns better be careful with what they do or say on Twitter and Instagram, as this will undoubtedly be part of the NBA's investigation on this matter:
So Kiki VanDeWeghe and the league office now has the responsibility of examining video replays of the Sixers-Timberwolves scuffle, conduct interviews with players, refs, team officials and ultimately come to a decision on meting out punishment.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2019
For those still interested in what actually happened with the game, it was the Sixers who came out on top with a 117-95 win to log their fourth straight victory to open the new season.
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