Joel Embiid Calls Out ‘Unnecessary' Play From Knicks in 76ers' Loss

This past weekend, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers went to Boston and eliminated the Celtics in Game 7, drawing the New York Knicks as their second-round opponents.

With Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, New York once again showed playoff dominance, surging to a first-half double-digit lead that only got worse as the game progressed. They played tough and physical, which led to consecutive blowout wins to close out their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.

Embiid, who returned several games into the Celtics series after his appendectomy, had a stellar game in defeating Boston, but then faced a tough challenge the next day against the Knicks. Along the way, he took a hit on a screen by Mikal Bridges to the area of his midsection where he’d had his surgery, leaving the 76ers’ big man hunched over for several moments after the play.

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In addressing what happened after the game, Embiid explained he wasn’t sure if the screen from Mikal Bridges was “dirty or not,” but definitely said it was unnecessary.

“I don’t think that was necessary, because Tyrese was already gone … I just didn’t think it was necessary, but whatever, we move on, it’s playoff basketball, you know if that’s the reality of it, I guess we gotta go out and be physical too, and do it too,” he said postgame.

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Embiid finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist in 25 minutes on the court in the 137-98 blowout loss. The Knicks were also much fresher off their first round, wrapping up in six games, and back home, while Philly looked sluggish after one day between their Game 7 and Game 1.

Things could be much different when the teams are back on the court for Game 2 on Wednesday evening, and much more physical.

However, the 76ers certainly can’t afford to lose Embiid for this series to another injury, based on how aggressive New York has looked compared to the Boston Celtics in recent games. An injury would hinder the 76ers’ chances of moving past this round and closer to their goal of the NBA Finals.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out moving forward. Will Embiid retaliate in some way for what Bridges did? Fans could see more playoff drama between these two Eastern Conference opponents, similar to what’s occurred in other postseason series.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 7:22 AM.