WATCH: "F**k Embiid" chants break out in MSG after reigning MVP shoves Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson
New York Knicks fans at the Madison Square Garden let Joel Embiid hear it after the reigning MVP shoved Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson to the floor. Embiid seemed frustrated with the game slipping away from the Philadelphia 76ers' hands in the dying minutes.
With the clock winding down, Embiid crashed into Robinson before he completed the dribble handoff to Brunson. Embiid then ran into Brunson. The MSG crowd was not impressed with the Sixers' star's non-basketball plays, especially when a simple foul could have sufficed.
Knicks Union on "X" posted the video where fans were heard making NSFW chants at Embiid.
The foul was eventually called for Robinson, making the contact against Brunson unnecessary. Fortunately for the Knicks, neither player suffered serious injuries after that play. However, the possibility of such a situation potentially irked the Knicks fans, who are already without Julius Randle for the rest of the postseason.
Their hopes of a deep playoff run depend on Jalen Brunson's shoulders, and his health will be of utmost priority.
Knicks defend homecourt in Game 1 despite Jalen Brunson's off-shooting and Joel Embiid's 29-piece
The New York Knicks pulled off an improbable result in Saturday's Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, winning 111-104 after trailing by 13 in the first quarter. However, they stormed back quickly to take a 14-point lead, winning the second quarter 33-12.
The Knicks also shrugged off a poor night from the starters, especially Jalen Brunson, who shot a measly 8 of 26 to score 22 points. Oddly, none of their starters had a positive box +/- score. Miles McBride was the unlikely hero off the bench. He tallied 21 points and four assists in 28 minutes, shooting 7 of 12, including 5 of 8 from 3.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid tallied 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He didn't shoot well, going 8 of 22, but Embiid got to the line and made 11 of 1 shots. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey dropped 33 on 14 of 26 shooting.
The Knicks managed the win with some terrific shooting from 3-point range, making 16 of 35 shots that proved pivotal. However, that won't be sustainable moving forward. The Knicks must do a better job at containing one of Maxey or Embiid to have a chance to go up 2-0 in this series.