Joel Embiid, Sixers Seem to Make Another Enemy in Pistons

Just eight games into the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers have already had their fair share of physical matchups, which resulted in a frustrated losing team.

Add the Detroit Pistons to the list of the Sixers’ enemies this season, apparently.

Following Friday night’s comeback victory over the Pistons, Joel Embiid claimed his final shot ruffled some feathers. Going against basketball’s unwritten rule of jacking up a final shot during the closing seconds when the game is out of reach for the opposition, Embiid attracted some negative attention for himself, which he explained after the game.

“The only thing I noticed was people trying to fight me because they don’t know the rules,” Embiid told reporters after the game, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. “When it comes to the tournament, points matter. I wish that shot would have counted — and I actually didn’t know that they was trying to fight me. So I wish I would have seen that, but everything counts.”

Friday night’s game was the Sixers’ first matchup for group play in the NBA’s brand new In-Season Tournament. Looking to secure an additional three points for his team, Embiid went for a buzzer-beater shot, which went in but didn’t count because officials ruled it a late shot that came after the time expired.

Regardless of the tournament rules, what reportedly transpired after the game hints that the Sixers have made another enemy eight games into the year.

First, it was the Toronto Raptors. Before the Sixers faced the Raptors for the first time this season, first-year Sixer Patrick Beverley took some shots at the team from up North, claiming they have “no dogs.”

After the Sixers beat the Raptors on the road in October, Beverley called them out on X. The following week, the Raptors visited the Sixers in South Philly. After collecting a second loss to the 76ers, Beverley went on X to triple-down on his statement.

Last week’s game against the Washington Wizards resembled the Sixers’ Friday night battle against the Pistons. At first, the underdogs’ physicality early in the matchup offered an advantage. Once Joel Embiid put his admitted anger to good use, it was lights out for the Wizards and their center, Daniel Gafford, who claimed before that matchup that he hated playing against Joel Embiid.

The Pistons probably feel the same way now after their first-half dominance on Friday night turned into a choked lead. After going up 56-48, holding the MVP to just 13 points in 17 minutes of action in the first half, the Pistons put together an impressive 24 minutes to open the matchup.

In the second half, they lost control. Embiid checked in for 18 minutes. During that time, he shot an efficient 5-9 from the field and knocked down nine of his ten free throws. The big man tacked on 20 points in the second half, bringing him around his season average of 33 points. He also secured a double-double with 16 rebounds.

The Sixers collected their seventh straight win on Friday and added another enemy to the list. They’ll continue their season on Sunday night with a matchup at home against the Indiana Pacers. As for the latest temporary rivalry against the Pistons, that will resume on December 13, when Embiid and the 76ers return to the Motor City. Considering the way everything went down on Friday, Detroit might have that one circled on their calendar.