Ad Disclosure
Marcus Smart Says He Could Have Cracked Joel Embiid’s Head Open
Published:
The Sixers lost Tuesday night in Boston. Joel Embiid didn’t play his best game. The defense was suspect. Marcus Smart tussled with Embiid, as usual, then said this after the game:
"I could have cracked his head open, but I didn't" 😳
Marcus Smart on his scuffle with Joel Embiid
(via @RealBobManning)pic.twitter.com/1iZQH3S1k2
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2022
If you missed the game or play, this is what he’s referencing:
Smart and Embiid getting chippy 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/xkTEFj2NgU
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2022
Naturally, Sixers fans thought this was a clean play and Celtics fans thought it was dirty. Smart’s arm gets wedged in there and then Embiid gets a second hand on the ball and rips it free, which wrenches said appendage.
Nobody can say for certain whether Joel was trying some shit here. He’s the only one.
But then you’ve got the leg grab and Embiid goes down, Jaylen Brown comes over and gets in his face, blah blah etc. The whole sequence really was annoying, because it’s the typical contemporary dramatic NBA shit. Unnecessary shenanigans after the whistle and guys flopping around and embellishing. It’s way too early in the season for this stuff. We’ve got 81 more opportunities for gamesmanship, flopping, faking, crying, grabbing, clutching, and whatever else these guys are gonna do. Smart and Embiid always seem to get in some ridiculous tussle that results in a lengthy review, which kills the flow of the game and leaves us watching endless replays while the refs stand in front of a video monitor.
Make it stop. Serenity now!
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com