Joel Embiid is a player that always wears his heart on his sleeve when he’s on the court and that was on display again as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. Embiid got into it with Kevin Durant during the 4th quarter but his team eventually secured the win for themselves.
The two superstars were both on fire, with KD dropping 33 points, 6 boards and 4 assists in the game while Embiid put up 34 to go along with 7 rebounds. Harden was also excellent, notching a triple-double, but he wasn’t too involved in the trash-talking between Embiid and Durant.
The Sixers star center was apparently worked up after Kevin Durant had made some gestures the last time his team won in Philadelphia. And Joel wasn’t going to let it go, he was clearly out for revenge against the Nets all game. His antics finally got under Durant’s skin late in the game but Embiid was the one to finish the contest with an offensive rebound and an and-1 bucket.
😤 Joel Embiid closes out the game with this board and adds the and-1 bucket to be safe! pic.twitter.com/yTCykP7fm3
— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2021
After Brooklyn failed to do anything on their final possession, Embiid ended the night by waving goodbye in Kevin Durant’s face and could be heard telling the Brooklyn Nets to go home. Durant just turned around and smiled at him, it’s unlikely that KD will forget this taunting anytime soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkqVEEdE7tg
KD addressed the tension after the game, revealing that Embiid hadn’t really said anything that crossed the line. Embiid also paid his respects to Durant, claiming that KD is the one player he believes is more talented than him.
The Sixers will need more of this fire from their superstar if they are to continue cementing their spot in the top 6 of the Eastern Conference. After the win, they are now in possession of the 6th seed with a record of 19-16. ‘
The Nets are still in the No. 1 spot in the East and will be boosted further by the imminent return of their 3rd star in Kyrie Irving. They face the Clippers next though, and Durant and Harden will be itching to get back to winning ways after Thursday’s disappointment.
