Celtics’ Marcus Smart Addresses On-Court Altercation With 76ers’ Joel Embiid

The Boston guard said Embiid tried to “break” his arm when the two were tangled up.

It didn’t take long for things to get chippy Tuesday night when the 2022–23 NBA season tipped off and two Eastern Conference powerhouses battled it out.

In their first game of the season, Celtics guard Marcus Smart and 76ers center Joel Embiid got in each other’s faces after getting tangled up on a play, and Smart did not mince words when talking about it postgame. 

“I could’ve cracked his head open, but I didn’t,” Smart said. “That’s the maturity we had.” 

The play he is referring to came in the third quarter, when Embiid and Smart went for a rebound but Smart’s arm was caught in Embiid’s arm after the Philadelphia star secured the board.

Smart: "Went for the steal, basketball play, referee blows his whistle, calls a foul, I stop play, my arm's still in there and he tries to break it..I'm the only one that gets a tech..defending DPOY? That's how he gets treated? ... I could've cracked his head open, but I didn't." pic.twitter.com/Npnn7xJaYL

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) October 19, 2022

Smart and Embiid getting chippy 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/xkTEFj2NgU

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2022

While tangled up, it appeared that Embiid stepped back and knocked Smart down. Embiid slipped on the floor after the move, and Smart showed his frustration by getting in his face. The two had to be separated, and Jaylen Brown got in the mix as well. 

“My arm’s still stuck in there, and he tries to break it,” Smart told reporters. 

Smart was dealt a technical foul for the incident, but the Celtics would go on to win the game 127–117. 

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