A rivalry has been brewing for years between two of the best big men in the NBA and the tension came to a head during a Wednesday night matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves. While the Sixers would eventually take the game 117-95, it was the antics of Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns that generated tons of chatter following the game.
Now, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office have decided to hand down suspensions for both Towns and Embiid who got into a physical confrontation. According to a release from the NBA, Embiid and Towns will be suspended for their next two games. Forward Ben Simmons, who was also involved in the altercation, did not receive any further discipline.
In the skirmish that erupted during the third quarter of their matchup, Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns are seen getting their arms tangled up. Things escalated from there, and Ben Simmons came in to put Towns in a chokehold from behind. Referees and league officials are saying Simmons restrained Towns in an effort to de-escalate the situation.
EMBIID AND TOWNS WENT AT EACH OTHER ?? pic.twitter.com/fEiR5AORPl
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) October 31, 2019
The drama was far from over once the final buzzer sounded though. Both Towns and Embiid took to social media after the game to exchange shots at each other.
There’s no doubt Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid are two of the brightest young big men in the NBA today. While it was just a regular season game between two inter-conference opponents, it’s not unusual for a disagreement to break out and turn physical, especially when it’s between two bigs who have a known history of disliking each other.
The bad blood between Embiid and Towns runs deep, as the two have gone back and forth on social media numerous times before this latest incident. Regardless, this rivalry seems far from over, as both Towns and Embiid are just beginning to make an impact in this league. Expect there to be no love lost whenever they meet next, with one more matchup between the two coming later this season in March.
