The Sixers took a loss in Game 1. Joel Embiid took a shot that drew attention.
Embiid, who underwent an emergency appendectomy less than a month ago, appeared to grimace after taking contact to his midsection from Knicks forward Mikal Bridges during Monday’s game.
Afterward, Embiid didn’t go as far as calling it dirty. He did raise an eyebrow.
“I don’t know if it was dirty or not,” Embiid said, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I guess I’ve got to do a better job of protecting, especially that part. I just felt like it wasn’t necessary, but we move on.”
He added that it comes with the territory.
“It’s playoff basketball,” Embiid said. “If that’s the reality of it, I guess we got to go out and be physical too.”
Philadelphia is already dealing with more than just the series deficit.
Coach Nick Nurse is currently away from the team following the unexpected passing of his older brother, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. Nurse attended the funeral in Carroll, Iowa, and is expected to rejoin the team ahead of Game 2 in New York.
The Sixers will look to regroup quickly.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
