ATLANTA - After the 76ers' 104-99 Game 6 victory on Friday to tie their second-round series with the Hawks, Joel Embiid was so fed up with the way Atlanta looked to umpiring for him compared to the superstar leader That he wouldn't even say Trae Young's name.
Embiid said after coming back to Philadelphia, "I felt like it wasn't called both ways, especially because of the minimal contact we get at point guard, and when it comes to us, we don't get the same thing." " Down to 12 in the first quarter to win. "So I want it to be called both ways. If you're going to call on their point guard like nothing, it should be that way and I should call [for] the same thing — if I get - touched."
Embiid took only one less free throw than Young - going 3-for-4 to Young's 3-for-5 - and the Sixers took 23 free throws as a team in Atlanta's 24, but Embiid scored Said he believed his fourth-quarter run—with the Hawks' John Collins—was not judged fairly by the referee.
With 4:03 remaining in fourth place and a Philadelphia 92–85 lead, Embiid rebounded a Seth Curry miss and scored on a putback, hitting Collins with his forearm in the process.
While the pair of older men were on the field, Collins pushed Embiid, and the two were chested at once, looking at Stanchian, as players from both teams joined the field.
There could have been some lingering tension between the two stemming from the alley-up of the third quarter, which Collins threw at the Sixers center when Embiid was called for a foul, even though Collins made contact with Embiid's face along the way. did.
In their subsequent skirmish, Embiid was called for an offensive foul and the ruling was challenged by Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers. After an officer's review, the offensive foul stood out and both Embiid and Collins were assessed for technical faults.
Embiid said he believed Young, who he said was pushing him from behind, should have been punished as well if the referees were going to overthrow the technique.
"I've got a technique for it, and I don't think it was an offensive foul," Embiid said after finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds. "I was just trying to stay calm and put my hands up. And someone was pushing me from behind, and I didn't understand why I got the technique.
"But I guess that's what it is. I was hacked all night, and I didn't think I was on the free throw line until I got into the fourth quarter and all that stuff. So it was suspicious, but we get Gaya won. That's all that matters."
In fact, no Sixers starter - Embiid included - attempted a free throw through the first three quarters. In the final frame, however, the Sixers went 15-for-20 from the line compared to the Hawks showing 6-for-12.
Philadelphia held the victory in the final 30 seconds with a 7-for-8 lead from Charity Stripe.
A few whistles from the referee against Philadelphia may have helped the Sixers round the corner. When Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris both picked up two fouls each in the opening round, Rivers put Tyrese Maxi in the lineup, and the rookie jumped on the spot and finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.
And Harris, after going 0-for-2 in four minutes, took it the rest of the way, shooting 9-for-18 before being pulled due to two fouls played in the first quarter, scoring 24 points. . last three quarters.
"When Tobias got two early fouls, it must have helped in some ways, because then he came back and he was really fresh," Rivers said.
Hawks center Clint Capella, who finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, spoke on the challenge of competing with the MVP runner-up in Embiid.
"We have to keep our composure," Capella said. "I have to keep my composure when I defend Embiid. I know he will hit hard. I know he is great at what he does. Every time I have to focus on the next action and my For part, have to do my job as hard as I can. I know he'll hit some tough shots. Never mind.
"Just go the other way and try to put my teammates in a good position to make the shot. Just make sure every right we give for nothing or we push too hard over and over again."