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Heated Fan Exchange On Controversial Joel Embiid Call Has Draymond Green Crying Over Forgotten Sabonis Incident

Published 04/25/2024, 9:50 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

While the NBA world fired shots at Joel Embiid, Draymond Green surprisingly defended him. During Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and NY Knicks, the refs issued a flagrant foul on Embiid for grabbing Mitchell Robinson’s legs in an ugly play. Following the play, the Golden State Warriors veteran took to his social media to recall another year-old ugly on-court incident involving him and Sacramento Kings‘ Domantas Sabonis.

Green took to his X handle and wrote, “Joel sells calls… I get it. But that no call on the middy was wild,” completely ignoring the foul play. The star power forward surprisingly focused on the ‘no call’ instead of the Embiid-Robinson incident. However, a fan quickly calls out the star, replying to his post, “But you have nothing to say about him grabbing mitchell robinsons legs in mid air? lmao f***ing dirty bum.”

In times when sports stars usually ignore the fans who come at them with foul language, Green took the plunge and defended the Cameroonian baller. DrayMagic wrote, “You had nothing to say when Sabonis grabbed my ankle mid run, now did you?”. However, the difference is that it involved a nasty reaction from Draymond Green.

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During the 2023 NBA Playoffs first-round series between the Kings and Warriors, Green and Sabonis were locked up for an ugly act. In an attempt to grab a rebound, the Kings’ center fell on the floor, off balance. At the same time, he grabbed Green’s legs and, in response, the star stomped on Sabonis’ chest.

However, the refs blew the whistle on Green and ejected him out of the game with two flagrant fouls. And also suspended him for the next game. Even though Green’s act was hostile, the refs failed to pay attention to Sabonis. Surprisingly, Shaquille O’Neal sided with the Dubs star on live TV. He said, “I’m not gonna sit up here and be a hypocrite. I would have done the same thing.”

Despite the ugly act, Joel Embiid shines in Game 3

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The Knicks and Sixers had a neck-to-neck game up until the second quarter. But Joel Embiid turned up the heat in the second half to help his side go one up in the series. In the first half, Embiid dropped only 17 points, but he took charge in the second half and dropped 33 points clinching a 125-114 comfortable win.

USA Today via Reuters

Despite the nasty act in the first quarter which fetched him a flagrant foul, the star didn’t let it get into his head. Instead, he produced a game-winning performance. Tyrese Maxey supported the big man with 25 points and 7 assists in keeping the series alive. After tonight, both teams have to stay at the City of Brotherly Love for Game 4. If the Sixers manage to win the game, it will cancel out the Knicks’ lead.

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On the other hand, Jalen Brunson finally had a better game after two consecutive tough games, shooting the ball. He dropped 39 points with 13 assists. Even though he had a poor 13-27 FG, he surprisingly got 12 FT attempts. Apart from JB, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart made significant contributions, dropping 37 points together.

Will the Sixers keep the series alive with a Game 4 win? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master's Degree in journalism from a distinguished institute, his journey into sports writing began during his college days, and since then, Shahul has been captivated not only by the remarkable consistency of Stephen Curry but also by the enduring legacy of LeBron James. He specializes in covering the live basketball action.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz