Kelly Oubre’s Honest Statement on Knicks’ Complaints for Joel Embiid
The Knicks are unhappy with Joel Embiid. Here's what Kelly Oubre has to say about that.
The New York Knicks are unhappy with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
As the two teams battled it out in a rather chippy Game 3 matchup at the Wells Fargo Center, Embiid was on the wrong end of some foul calls that many have described as “dirty” plays.
On one play, specifically, Embiid was seen grabbing the leg of Knicks veteran Mitchell Robinson, who was jumping for a rebound attempt. Although Embiid faced a possible ejection when the play was getting reviewed, he remained in the game after getting hit with a flagrant one foul call.
Since the Sixers defeated the Knicks in Game 3, Embiid’s controversial play has gone viral on social media. It was also the talk in the Knicks’ locker room, as players were not thrilled with the sequence of events even hours after it took place.
Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo called the play dirty, which came off as a hypocritical comment considering his actions during a March meeting between the Sixers and the Knicks when DiVincenzo took down Kelly Oubre by going at his knees.
Mar 10, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) and center Isaiah
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
“I’ve seen that happen before, though, and I was on the other end of it,” Oubre told reporters on Saturday when reacting to the play.
“At the end of the day — I don’t think it’s dirty — Jo has to protect himself.”
Following Game 3, Embiid made it clear that his intentions weren’t bad. Since the big man suffered a meniscus injury back in January as a result of another player fall on his knee, Embiid worried that Robinson could’ve done something similar, leading the Sixers center to do what he had to do to make sure that didn’t happen again.
As for Oubre, he looks forward to the fourth meeting on Sunday, as the Sixers-Knicks series continues to keep an intense tone as the series progresses.
“At the end of the day, I’m not going to comment on what they’re commenting on,” Oubre added. “At the end of the day, they’re going to hit, and we’re going to hit back, and then they cry or vice versa, whatever the case may be. Let’s just hoop, go out there and play hard. Nobody finna fight. This ain’t WWE. At the end of the day, stand on the stuff that ya’ll say. We’ll see tomorrow how they react.”
With a 1-2 deficit, the Sixers hope to even the score before hitting the road at Madison Square Garden for Game 5. The Sixers and the Knicks will fire up Game 4 at 1 PM ET on Sunday.
