The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: 5 thoughts on the KAT-Joel Embiid skirmish

By AJ Iezzi

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 30: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers fights with Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on October 30, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Wolves 117-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 30: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers fights with Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on October 30, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Wolves 117-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

It took Philadelphia 76ers center Joel  Embiid four games to break his no trash-talk declaration. Karl-Anthony  Towns had enough of Embiid and the two tumbled to the Wells Fargo Center floor and the internet proceeded to do backflips. With two game suspensions looming, here are a few quick thoughts.

The Philadelphia 76ers game Wednesday night was pretty much boring.

It was on the verge of going into early garbage time. The Sixers were strangling the Timberwolves. The offense was post-up deranged and the defense was vice-gripping Minnesota. The air was seeping out of the building like a nail in a tire. A 20-point lead in the middle of the third quarter never felt so inconspicuous, until a double team preluding a turnover produced the most viral moment of the new NBA season.

(Underrated moment of this whole saga is Kyle O’Quinn‘s face around the 1:30 mark.)

1. NBA fights suck

I’m not here to preach about the abhorrence of violence or haphazardly filibuster on morals. Let’s get this out of the way right now. NBA fights are usually awful. It’s a bunch of ‘HOLD ME BACK’s and shoving. Punches don’t usually connect.

We’re probably past the days of NBA players making reputations off of being enforcers like Rick Mahorn and Charles Oakley. You could argue KAT and Embiid didn’t even fight. A flimsy punch was thrown and after that it was just grappling washed away by a sea of bodies trying to break it up. It’s probably hard to land a punch when your arms are the length of jump ropes. Nobody won. Nobody lost.