There was no doubt that Game 4 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers was going to be a dogfight, but the intensity of the matchup nearly boiled over into fisticuffs.
Late in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center, Terry Rozier took exception with some extracurricular activity from Joel Embiid, and the Celtics guard responded with a hard forearm shove at The Process. Both players were issued technical fouls for the skirmish, but Embiid ultimately got the last laugh as the Sixers claimed a 103-92 win to force a Game 5 back in Boston on Wednesday.
After the game, Embiid provided his interpretation of the mini-scrap, and he made sure to take a shot at Rozier in the process.
Joel Embiid on his confrontation with Terry Rozier: "He tried to punch me twice. Too bad he's too short and couldn't get to my face."
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) May 8, 2018
Rozier wasn’t nearly as combative when offering his take on the matter.
Terry Rozier on mixup with Joel Embiid: “It’s just out there having fun. To set the record straight I wake up every morning not worried about nobody, no man on this earth.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 8, 2018
There’s clearly no love lost between these two teams, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see additional fireworks in the remainder of the second-round NBA playoff series.