We get game adrenaline and all that. But the Knicks could remember where an appendix once was! The old 76ers-Knicks tensions flared right away in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The target was obviously the Philadelphia 76ers representative big man, Joel Embiid who put on a tough front last week about faking injuries to bring the New York Knicks’ guard down. However, the primary story at Madison Square Garden shifted from the scoreboard to the health of Embiid and the unforgivable actions of Knicks star, Mikal Bridges.

With 3:20 remaining in the second quarter and the Knicks holding a commanding 57-39 lead, the Sixers superstar found himself hunched over in visible agony following an incidental collision with Bridges. The incident occurred while Embiid was attempting to set a screen, during which Mikal backed up and delivered a sharp blow to Embiid’s midsection.

The timing and location of the contact were particularly alarming, as Embiid is less than four weeks removed from an emergency appendectomy surgery. As Kelly Oubre Jr. converted an “and-1” layup to bring the score to 57-41, the reigning MVP remained doubled over, clutching the exact area of his recent surgical procedure.

While Embiid displayed his trademark resilience by staying in the game and reviving his old rivalry with Karl-Anthony Towns, his movement appeared noticeably hampered for the remainder of the half. He finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds and assist, a sharp decline from  his back-to-back 30+ points against the Celtics last week.

With Embiid struggling through the pain, the Sixers lost their momentum. He played around five minutes in the third and in the fourth, Nick Nurse benched him and all the starters. The Knicks went on to win 137-98 off Jalen Brunson’s 35 points and take an early lead in the series.

This latest injury scare adds to a grueling postseason for Embiid. He came back for only 38 games in the regular season before needing emergency appendectomy in April. Against all assumptions, he returned in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics only 17 days after the surgery. Although he played like he never had it at all, a direct hit to that area has to be difficult. And Mikal Bridges is getting dragged for that.

76ers fans feel protective of Joel Embiid against Knicks

The viral footage of Mikal Bridge’s elbow slamming into Joel  Embiid’s abdomen sparked an immediate firestorm across social media. Philadelphia supporters and neutral observers alike questioned the intent behind Bridges’ movement. Many fans felt the play was a calculated attempt to exploit Embiid’s known physical vulnerability, throwing accusations of, “He did that on purpose mother f—er.”

One frustrated observer noted the perceived pattern of play from New York, stating that “The #Knicks play dirty & this is exactly why 🏀 fans love to see them humbled when they lose. Their antidote for winning games rides on how the officials decide to call in their favor.”

This sentiment was echoed by those who felt the specific location of the strike was too precise to be accidental, speculating, “I’m sure it’s a coincidence he threw a elbow right to where he had surgery”

Others took on the critics who accuse The Process of foul-baiting. “And Knicks fans have the audacity to call Embiid dirty…”

The game had continued as usual. The lack of an immediate whistle or flagrant review only heightened the anger of the Sixers faithful, many of whom called for a physical response to protect their franchise player. “Blatant dirty play. Old school would say to retaliate. I subscribe to that.”

The calls for retribution were blunt, demanding, “Someone on the 6ers needs to flatten Bridges stat!” Even those who initially gave Bridges the benefit of the doubt found their opinions shifting after seeing the slow-motion replays of the follow-through. One such viewer admitted, “I thought the contact was incidental in real time, but this was uncalled for. No need for what Bridges did.”

As the game progressed, the concern about how the abdominal pain would dictate the remainder of the series. Sixers fans pointed out that while the New York faithful might stay silent on the matter, the impact on the court was undeniable, claiming, “Knicks fans probably won’t acknowledge this being a dirty play… But it definitely affected Joel Embiid in this game.”

Despite this narrative, the defensive specialist that Mikal Bridges is doesn’t have the reputation of a dirty player. But perhaps the Philly fans will make enough noise for the NBA to thinks so and review this sequence.