“Call Timeout! Call Timeout!”: Shaquille O’Neal Pushes Charles Barkley Into Shouting Over Joel Embiid Foul

The turnaround for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 has left the Inside Guys reeling. Especially the Sixers legend in the panel, Charles Barkley. Joel Embiid & the 76ers were close to tying the series till Jalen Brunson and Co. struck. Despite Embiid’s heroics, they suffered their second straight loss to the Knicks in a 104-101 thriller. Unfortunately for NY, the Knicks don’t really have any fans on the Inside Crew. Chuck was more focused on his Sixers being down 2-0 in this series. Egged by Shaquille O’Neal, the Chuckster screamed the big mistake the Sixers made in the fourth quarter.

Philly was up 5 points with less than 30 seconds to go. Then Brunson hit a corner three and straight away everyone on the Knicks ensured the 76ers couldn’t inbound the ball easily. It led to a loose ball and Donte DiVincenzo hit another three to put New York up. During that tense inbound situation, Shaq knew what his bestie wanted to say and he provided that opening with, “Say it Chuck! Say it Chuck! One more time, Chuck!” on this highlight. Say what exactly?

“Call timeout! Call timeout!” That was Chuck’s litany that only got louder. If only he was yelling that in Madison Square Garden. In no time, the Knicks had the lead to end the game in their favor and all Chuck can say now, “This is a devastating loss for my Sixers, man.” Chuck wanted the Sixers to call a timeout when Maxey got the inbound. The thing though, head coach Nick Nurse and Embiid did try.

After the game, Nurse told the reporters, “I call timeout. The referee looked right at me, ignored me. Looking for Tyrese, I call timeout again. Then the whole melee started and yeah. I guess I’ve got to run out onto the floor or do something to make sure to get his attention.”

Embiid and the Sixers had a tough time in MSG. Knicks fans seem to have it out for him after the game. But from the looks of it, Chuck and even Shaq are on his side.

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal want Joel Embiid to follow The Process

The Sixers had a late 2-point lead when Tyrese Maxey was apparently fouled by Josh Hart and Brunson. He turned the ball over to Josh Hart after a three. In the subsequent possession, Donte DiVincenzo pulled New York ahead. It was a struggle, there was a lot of contact, Maxey was seemingly trapped, but none of it was called. The Sixers side tried to call a timeout at the last minute, something that Ernie pointed out to Chuck.

Embiid also responded after the game that the referees missed too many calls and even ignored their coach. He called the treatment “F**king unacceptable.” Chuck and Shaq want him to get over it and focus on the next game. But they do acknowledge him.

Shaquille O’Neal provoked Charles Barkley to say the unspoken because, as he said later, “He [Maxey] got fouled.” Barkley especially wanted them to call a timeout much earlier than they tried, specifically after Brunson hit that three. The silver lining for them is Game 3 before their home crowd and the Sixers are still positive they will redeem themselves in this series.