The NBA has been looking into the physical altercation between The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns that took place on Wednesday night in Philly.
After both players were ejected from the game, each received a two-game suspension, which was announced on Thursday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s vice president. But league officials are also looking into who else was involved, like the 76ers’ point guard Ben Simmons, who was seen with his arm on Towns’ throat during the skirmish.
At first, officials said Simmons was a “peacemaker” who tried to break things up, but whether that changes and he gets disciplined remains to be seen. The Timberwolves, however, believe that Simmons should face consequences, because they say he put Towns in a “dangerous choke hold.”
Embiid, who prides himself on getting into his opponents’ heads, spoke about the fight and said it was no big deal.
“That’s what I’m good at. I like to get in people’s minds,” he said after the game. “I like to occupy that real estate. It’s the game, we’re just having fun, playing basketball, and then something like that is nothing. You just move on.”
Then, after the game, both players exchanged Twitter messages and Embiid mentioned the fight, as well as his team’s 117-92 victory.
“Great team win!!! I was raised around lions and a cat pulled on me tonight lmao,” he wrote. “Got his mama giving middle fingers left and right. That’s some SERIOUS REAL ESTATE #FightNight #IAintNoBitch.”
“That tough guy act ain’t cutting it …. you know what you are,” Embiid also tweeted. “You know what you’ve always been>>> A P—Y (SAY IT LOUDER FOR PEOPLE IN THE BACK) Been kicking your ass and pretty please make the playoffs before you talk. It’s a known thing that I OWN YOU. @KarlTowns.”
Towns then mocked Embiid’s message and posted a few photos of him, one that showed Embiid crying after losing in the playoffs last season.
“I aIN’t nO BiTcH RaiSeD ARoUnD LiOnS #BitchTalk,” wrote Towns.
The fight occurred in the third quarter after both men got tangled up, and they were pulled apart by teammates as well as referees.
Embiid’s suspension will start Saturday when the 76ers take on the Portland Trail Blazers, and Towns’ will begin on Saturday as well when his team plays against the Washington Wizards.
The 76ers and the Timberwolves will play each other again on March 24.
