Joel Embiid Super P*ssed At Refs After Game 4

Just two games after telling Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse to "stop b*tching to the refs", Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid had plenty of gestures and words for the officials in Game 4 of their series, won by Toronto, 110-102. 

He first showed his displeasure with sarcastic clapping at the referees as he left the floor following the Raptors win to stave off elimination and cut the Sixers' series lead to 3-1. 

Joel Embiid gives the referees a sarcastic golf clap as he walks into the locker room pic.twitter.com/7DmNZieWs0

— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) April 23, 2022

Afterwards, Embiid doubled-down on his critique of the refs, inferring it was their goal to ensure a Toronto win. 

“To me it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight, and they got it done.” 👀

- Joel Embiid on the refs

(h/t @KyleNeubeck ) pic.twitter.com/0wzBcxF0Nu

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 23, 2022

“To me it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight, and they got it done," said Embiid about the officials. 

After that, he thought about the fines that could be coming his way if he went any further, and said "I'm gonna take my own advice, and not complain about it."

After compiling 31 more free throw attempts through the first 3 games of the series, the Sixers had 10 less trips to the line than the Raptors in Game 4. Pascal Siakam, who had been getting to the line with regularity through the last few months of the regular season, had 15 free throw attempts in this one, compared to Embiid's 9. 

An injured Fred VanVleet came out of the locker room as the players left the floor, and appeared to "clap back" at Embiid as he came into the tunnel. 

Maybe this series has a chance to get interesting, after all.