Former Knicks Standout Reacts to Joel Embiid’s Controversial Play

Former Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley has thoughts on Joel Embiid's controversial play in Game 3.

Apr 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) has words / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

So far, the first-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks has been as good as advertised, as the two division rivals have been fighting hard for their ticket to the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

During Game 3 on Thursday night, the matchup was extremely physical from the start. Philly’s superstar center Joel Embiid was at the forefront of the chippiness, as he picked up a handful of fouls, including a flagrant one call, that many questioned.

Former Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley was tuned into the action on Thursday night, getting a look at his old team. When asked about the controversial play when Embiid grabbed Mitchell Robinson’s leg as he attempted to jump for a rebound, Quickley seems to be under the belief that Embiid’s night probably should’ve ended early in Game 3.

“I ain’t trying to get fined,” Quickley told Run It Back on FanDuel TV. “I don’t know if I still can. If that was anybody else, I don’t know if he would get the same call.”

Embiid defended the play after the game, making it known that he was only trying to protect himself on the play. Considering Embiid’s meniscus injury that he suffered in January was a result of another big man falling on his knee while diving for a ball, the Sixers’ All-Star claims that he was looking to avoid a similar scenario on Thursday.

While Embiid was hit with a flagrant, he was able to stay in the game. For the Sixers, that was everything.

Looking at an 0-2 record after going winless at Madison Square Garden, Embiid put the Sixers on his back and collected a dominant victory. In the 125-114 win, Embiid scored 50 points in 41 minutes. His performance fired up many, who believed that the Sixers should’ve been playing a majority of the game without him.

Quickley, now a member of the Toronto Raptors, doesn’t need to have any loyalty towards the Knicks these days. While he started his NBA career in New York, the veteran guard was traded during the regular season in the deal that landed the Knicks OG Anunoby.

These days, Quickley is not only a rival of the Sixers — but the Knicks as well. As he watched the round one battle from afar, Quickley believed that the Sixers got away with one on Thursday.