Joel Embiid, Nic Claxton Talk Chippy Exchange
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Every time the Brooklyn Nets take the trip down the New Jersey Turnpike to play the Philadelphia 76ers, it's a rowdy environment packed with hostility. In their latest matchup on Wednesday night, there was a heated exchange that certainly matched the sellout crowd of 19,772 at Wells Fargo Center.
The exchange was between Nets' fourth-year big Nic Claxton and Sixers' cornerstone Joel Embiid. After Brooklyn's rising center blocked Embiid's shot, the competitive fire took over. The two bigs got in each other's faces, which led to jawing and, eventually, double technicals were issued.
"Let me see. I blocked his shot. I think he was upset there was no foul call. I said something to him. He told me to repeat it, I repeated it and he walked up on me," said Claxton explaining his side of the heated exchange with Embiid on Wednesday night. "I don't know how I got a tech when I say one thing and I'm just sitting there standing. He walks up on me, I get a tech, but I take it so it's a double tech. It's just competition. Just having some fun. So that's how it really is."
On the other side of the exchange, Embiid has a different opinion. The Sixers big explained that Claxton, who is known for his competitive jawing, especially after swatting opposing players' shot attempts, said 'something he shouldn't have' that sparked the verbal altercation.
"He said something he shouldn't have," Embiid said postgame. "That's why when I walked up to his face, I told him to say it to my face again. That's why he looked away and he didn't say it again. He knows why. There are not a lot of times when I get in those situations. I'm not going to allow any sort of disrespect. That's why he couldn't say it to my face again."
Of course, the two teams have a history of jawing with each other on the hardwood. The morning of Wednesday's contest, Sixers' backup big Montrezl Harrell praised Claxton's rise in play but dissed the overall offensive impact he contains for Brooklyn.
“I don’t know nothing about that, brother. You’re talking about a guy [Claxton] who steps up, but at the same time, Kyrie [Irving] is the head of that snake. If Kevin Durant was there, it would be those two. It’s good that he’s playing well and stuff like that. Cool. But he’s not the focal point of our defense," Harrell said after Philadelphia's shootaround Wednesday morning. [He’s not] who we’re trying to take away. We know the head of that engine is through Kyrie and everything they’ve been doing since KD’s been out has been through Kyrie. So kudos to him, but at the same time, brother, that’s not the focus of my lock-in.
"I’m just gonna come out and make sure Kyrie isn’t getting downhill, make sure he isn’t creating for his guys, and make sure he isn’t causing a whole lot of havoc in order to get Claxton open."
Despite the Nets taking a loss to the Sixers, Claxton finished with an impactful double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds, to pair with two assists and two rejections. Embiid concluded his night with his own double-double of 26 points and 10 boards.
"That's what you expect coming here. I mean, that's what you, as a competitor, that's what you want. You love coming into an environment like a Philly or a Boston," Claxton said postgame. "There's not many places that have the crowds really into it like they were tonight and it was a hostile environment and it's just tough to take an L."
