In Wednesday’s game between the Sixers and Timberwolves, All-Star big men Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns were involved in an on-court brawl during the third quarter of Philadelphia’s win over Minnesota, resulting in both players being ejected for fighting.
It’s possible that one or both combatants threw a punch, and photographs make it appear as if Embiid attempted to gouge/poke Towns’ left eye with his right thumb, although it’s possible his hand landed on Towns’ face accidentally.
This is not the first time bad blood has surfaced between Embiid and Towns. After a game in December 2017, Embiid went to Instagram to post a photograph of himself scoring on Towns. Towns criticized the caption and picture quality, to which Embiid responded, “better quality than your defense.”
Bobby Marks of ESPN notes that the severity of the brawl will likely warrant multi-game suspensions for both players. Marks adds that both teams don’t play again until Saturday, so the league will have plenty of time to assess whether any players left the bench area, which could lead to additional suspensions. Stay tuned…
