“Nobody can guard Joel Embiid if the refs let him run you over”: Raptors head coach, Nick Nurse, bashes refs for not giving Scottie Barnes and company a fair whistle against Sixers MVP

Nick Nurse calls out the referees for not calling fouls against Joel Embiid and instead giving him the call on the offensive end. 

It was no surprise that Joel Embiid and James Harden would be at the charity stripe more times than any of the other 8 players on the court between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors. Last night’s Game 1 between the two proved just that as Embiid and Harden combined for 18 free throw attempts, a relatively low number for them. 

The Raptors, on paper, have a team that can dismantle the Sixers on the defensive end of the floor . Guys like Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, and OG Anunoby are all lengthy, agile defenders who can give Joel Embiid a tough time making decisions with constant double teams.

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Unfortunately for Nick Nurse, James Harden had the ball more often than Embiid, something they didn’t expect given his lackluster play as of recent. This led to him making more plays from the perimeter, dishing out 14 assists on the night. 

Nick Nurse on Joel Embiid getting a better whistle than them. 

Joel Embiid went 9-11 from the free throw line and got to the line with a couple questionable moves. Given it’s the Playoffs, it’s understandable as to how the Sixers big-man looked to establish himself more aggressively in Game 1 but Nurse believes Embiid was given an unfair advantage on the whistle tonight. 

“If we’re legal defensively, we’ve gotta have a call, or we don’t have a chance. Nobody can guard that guy if they’re gonna let him run you over,” said Nurse. 

Also read: “Toronto Raptors just play reckless, sending three guys on me..”: Joel Embiid knows how his first round opponents play, not going to repeat 2019’s heartbreak

The refs did call a Flagrant 1 on Joel for elbowing Scottie Barnes in the face on a block attempt and then pushing him to the ground. Barnes took notice of this on the jumbotron and returned the favor a while later and got called for a Flagrant 1 as well. 

Talking about the Sixers-Raptors game tonight would be incomplete without giving Tyrese Maxey his flowers. He scored 38 points on 14-21 shooting from the field and had 20 points in the third period, helping the Sixers keep a large double digit lead on the Raps, eventually leading to a blowout victory.