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Embiid fined for verbal attack on refs
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The National Basketball Association slapped Joel Embiid with a US$25,000 fine on Wednesday after the Philadelphia 76er player openly criticized the referees following a loss to the Boston Celtics.
Embiid was wrapping up a post-game news conference with reporters after a 109-112 defeat on Tuesday night when he leaned into the microphone, yelled a profanity and said the referees “suck.”
The league responded by fining Embiid for “public criticism of the officiating which included use of inappropriate language.”
Embiid’s outburst was apparently the result of not getting a foul call in his favor in the final minute of the Celtics’ game. He finished the game with 23 points after shooting just 9-of-22 from the field.
Embiid also had 14 rebounds, but he was whistled for five personal fouls as Philadelphia fell to 0-3 this season against Boston.
The Celtics are 10-2 against the Sixers since the start of last season, including a 4-1 series victory in the 2018 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Embiid’s frustration was fueled by a sequence in the closing seconds of the loss. He missed a potential game-tying jumper after Boston center Al Horford appeared to hit his arm. There was no call from the officials.
Celtics forward Gordon Hayward praised Horford’s defense against Embiid.
“Al’s a smart defender, so I think he’s able to use spacing and angles and really kind of knows when to gap and when to get up to him,” Hayward said. “He’s also just a tough defender, like taking bumps, not getting backed all the way down and then still being long enough to contest his jump shots.”
Before expressing his colorful thoughts on the referees, Embiid said Horford’s defense was nothing special.
“He’s not doing anything,” Embiid said. “I was sleep-walking for three quarters, and that’s on me. Like I said, that’s on me. It had nothing to do with anybody.”
Asked about the league fine following the 76ers’ 126-111 win over the reeling New York Knicks on Wednesday night, an unapologetic Embiid said: “I knew what I was getting into.”
Embiid scored a team-high 26 points and 14 rebounds as New York handed the hapless Knicks their 18th straight loss.
Embiid gave the Madison Square Garden crowd a scare in the third quarter.
While trying to chase down a ball going out of bounds, he jumped over Hollywood actress Regina King, who was sitting courtside, and landed on top of a Knicks broadcast worker. No one was seriously hurt.
King, who won a Golden Globe for her role in “If Beale Street Could Talk” tweeted about the incident, saying “Yoooo. Thank you God and @JoelEmbiid for your athletic abilities. Crisis averted.”
Asked why he chased a ball out of bounds with his team ahead by 15 points and the game out of reach, Embiid said, “I only know one way to play.”
Embiid’s discipline is just the latest in a series of recent fines for criticism of NBA referees.
Detroit Pistons’ Blake Griffin and Cleveland Cavaliers’ JR Smith were both fined US$15,000 each last month for “verbal abuse of officials” while Rudy Gobert of Utah Jazz was fined US$15,000 in December for criticizing the referees.
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