Joel Embiid On Grabbing Mitchell Robinson’s Leg During Controversial Play: “I Got To Protect Myself”

Joel Embiid got real on why he grabbed Mitchell Robinson's leg during a layup attempt which left the Knicks' center injured.

6 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

Joel Embiid has been criticized after his 50-point performance in the 76ers’ Game 3 win over the Knicks. Embiid committed a flagrant foul on Mitchell Robinson, grabbing his ankle during a layup attempt. Embiid explained his actions after the game, claiming he was trying to protect himself. 

“I didn’t mean to hurt anybody. In those situations, I got to protect myself, because I’ve been in way too many situations where I’m always the recipient of the bad end of it. It was unfortunate.”

The issue with what Embiid is saying is that it seemed a deliberate attempt to grab the leg of an offensive player during a live ball situation. It was a reckless and careless play, which would’ve resulted in consequences for most other players. Even if he wasn’t ejected at the moment, justifying his action after the fact is asinine. 

This ended up being a turning point in the contest, as Embiid went on to score 50 points in a masterclass performance. The Knicks were left without Embiid’s primary matchup, as Robinson left the game with an ankle injury and exited the arena in a walking boot. 

It was announced after the game that Embiid was playing through a mild case of Bell’s palsy. While his efforts to play through this are heroic, it doesn’t justify the foul he committed.


The Knicks React To Embiid’s Foul On Mitchell Robinson

It’s safe to say that players on the Knicks were extremely frustrated with how Embiid’s foul on Mitchell Robinson was handled. While a flagrant one was issued in the game, many argue that Embiid should have been given a flagrant two and ejected from the game. 

Josh Hart discussed how thankful the Knicks were that Robinson wasn’t seriously injured while wanting the referees to identify a line with the physicality that they want.

“Happy Mitch didn’t get a serious injury on that… I’m all for tough fouls, tough playoff fouls, but that’s something that can put a guy out for a significant amount of time. We’re lucky he didn’t get seriously hurt.” 

Hart also opened up on if he was surprised at how the game was being officiated when asked if Embiid’s foul on Robinson should have been a flagrant two.

“We knew what Game 3 was gonna be… Especially with how Game 2 ended. Am I surprised? Not at all. At the end of the day, we just got to move on.”

Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo was more direct than Hart about his criticism.

“It was dirty.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t focus on just the Robinson foul but went after officiating in general. When he was asked about this foul in particular, Thibs used it to highlight how there were ‘more’ fouls that went uncalled.

“Which one? The one they called, or the one they didn’t call? Just want to make sure we have clarity on that. I don’t even know. What did they have 33 free throws?”

Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein was also heavily critical of what Embiid did, calling it a non-basketball play.

“It’s not a basketball play.”

The Knicks might be leaving this Game 3 frustrated, but there were multiple calls down the stretch of Game 2 which went their way and doomed the 76ers to a loss. Instead of focusing on biases, we should admit that the officiating has been the poorest in this series out of all eight first-round matchups.

We received an update on Mitchell Robinson’s health after the game, with major doubts hanging over his availability for Game 4 in Philadelphia.

“Dirty and reckless were just two of the words used in the Knicks locker room to describe Joel Embiid’s play on Mitchell Robinson… He re-injured his ankle, probably to a degree on that Joel Embiid play. It’s the same ankle he was listed as questionable for heading into this game, it’s the same ankle he had surgically repaired earlier this season. Probably a significant amount of concern around Robinson’s ankle going into Game 4.”

It doesn’t look like the league will pursue this foul after the game and hand Embiid a punishment for the outcome of his actions. This could be a good thing for the viewers as this series will be one-sided if Embiid misses even one game, but isn’t a good precedent to set. 

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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