Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has a reputation around the NBA. He always plays hard, aggressive basketball, but sometimes he takes it a bit too far.
On Monday night, he did just that. Late in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Sixers' first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid tried to drive to the hoop on Nets center Jarrett Allen.
Via Dime on Twitter:
Jarrett Allen just took a Joel Embiid elbow right in the face pic.twitter.com/wZCcob2wUp
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 16, 2019
On the play, Joel Embiid clearly threw an elbow that caught Allen in the face and knocked him to the ground. Whether intentional or not, upon review the foul was determined a Flagrant 1. Allen made both free throws he was given.
In Game 1 on Saturday, the Sixers were upset by the sixth-seeded Nets, 111-102. Postgame tensions flared when the team was booed off its home court. Philadelphia started Game 2 flat, and Allen's free throws tied the game.
Perhaps this fiery, aggressive play from Joel Embiid was the spark the Sixers needed. They returned from halftime with a dominant third quarter in which they outscored the Nets 51-23. The Sixers cruised to a blowout Game 2 victory, 145-123.
In the regular season, Embiid averaged 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The 25-year-old is a two-time All-Star and widely regarded as one of the top big men in the league. The Sixers will head to Brooklyn for the next two games starting Thursday, with the series tied, 1-1.
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