The NBA has fined Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid for his comments following the Sixers' 112-109 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Officially, the fine is for “Public criticism of officiating” which is just really a nice way to put it. Joel Embiid's comments were not as nice.

“The refs [explative] sucked!” Embiid said.

The frustration that caused Embiid to make these comments likely came from a no-call late in the game. Al Horford fouled a shot attempt from the Sixers center, but it was not called. In a close game, that kind of decision from a referee is magnified even further.

Embiid had an overall good game. He scored 23 points, 14 rebounds and blocked two shots. However, that performance would feel better if his team had won the game.

This loss could have playoff implications for the Sixers. Because of that game, both Boston and Philadelphia are tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

The good news for each team is that there is little doubt they will see postseason play.  Brooklyn is in sixth place and sits 7.5 games behind the Celtics and 76ers.

Fans of Philadelphia don't have to worry too much about Embiid's financial situation. In fact, he can probably pay the fine with the lost money he finds in his couch. His contract is for five years and upwards of $147 million.

This fine is meant to be a lesson to NBA players to not publicly criticize the referees. However, the competitive spirit that allows players to become as talented as they are will not let that happen. Something like this will most certainly happen again.