The New York Knicks stunned the Philadelphia 76ers this afternoon in what appeared to be a slugfest of a game in this series. With a 97-92 scoreline, the Knicks have once again taken the lead in the series, shattering almost all hopes for Philly to make a comeback. While Jalen Brunson continued his brilliance in the game, 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid was only limited to 27 points this afternoon shooting 7-19 from the field. However, the Philly center has prompted a lot of flak on NBA Twitter for other reasons.
A popular fan account Knicks Muse shared a clip on X, which has sparked controversy. The clip shows Joel Embiid seemingly stomping on Josh Hart’s legs intentionally after Hart fell from a contested layup attempt against the Sixers’ big man near the baseline. The fan account accused Embiid of intentionally fouling the Knicks small forward and wasn’t very tacit about it.
Other New York fans also agreed with the sentiment. Claiming the Sixers superstar to be the “dirtiest player in the league,” one fan tried highlighting how Embiid had more flagrant fouls than Draymond Green in 400 less games. “Ive never actually seen someone more deserving of a knee capping than that guy. Has more flagrants than draymond through 400 less games. Dirtiest player in the leauge and it ain’t close,” the fan wrote.
Another fan also tried insinuating that Embiid’s stomp was intentional, demanding the Sixers center to be fined and disqualified for the next game.
This fan highlighted how Embiid was consciously aware of what he was doing. They even tried to prove their point by bringing up broadcaster Ryan Rucco’s testimony.
Similarly, other fans have also started noticing a pattern in Joel Embiid’s actions, while also criticizing his reckless performance this afternoon.
As of yet, it is not certain whether Embiid intentionally stomped Josh Hart. Previously, Embiid entered into a similar controversy after tripping Mitchell Robinson in Game 3 of this series.
Joel Embiid was blamed for tripping Mitchell Robinson in Game 3
Mitchell Robinson was ruled out for today’s Game 4 due to a left ankle sprain that he picked from the last game. Robinson sprained his ankle in the first half of Game 3, subsequently being unavailable in the second half.
Though the specific play in which Robinson injured himself is unclear, fans suspect Joel Embiid to be the reason behind the Knicks center’s injury. Embiid tripped Robinson by pulling him down by his right leg in the first quarter, earning himself a Flagrant 1. However, many fans believe that this was a Flagrant 2 foul, which is usually called for unnecessary or excessive contact with the opponent.
