Opening night of the NBA on Tuesday was a time for celebration, as basketball had returned after months of being away.
However, it didn’t all go down without a few bumps in the road and troubles.
For starters, the TNT telecast of the game was having audio issues all night for many viewers, leaving some watching the game with the audio out of sync.
“I could have cracked his head open but I didn’t.”
– Marcus Smart on Joel Embiid 😳
(Via @ByJayKing ) pic.twitter.com/eJBILNA8la— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) October 19, 2022
But more alarming was a dust-up between Marcus Smart of the Celtics and Joel Embiid of the 76ers.
Early in the first half of the game, Smart and Embiid got tangled up with each other while battling for a rebound.
With Smart’s arms trapped to Embiid’s body, the Philadelphia big man twisted around in a spastic, dramatic fashion.
Following that, Smart received a technical foul for grabbing Embiid’s leg.
Smart was none too happy with the entire situation, especially how Embiid kept moving after the whistle blew.
“Referee blows his whistle, calls a foul. I stop play. My arm’s still stuck in there and he tries to break it. And then I’m the only one who gets a tech,” Smart said.
He continued: “It’s tough. But like I said, it’s maturity. I could’ve cracked his head open, but I didn’t, and that’s the maturity we had. We move on from it. It is what it is, and control what we can control.”
Twisted Up With Embiid
It was certainly a scary moment between the two players.
At first, it just looked like a normal grapple for the ball but you can see it could have been much more serious if Smart’s arm was stretched even a bit further.
This was the first heated moment in an NBA game for the year – it definitely will not be the last.
NEXT: The Celtics Unleashed An Incredible Duo On Opening Night