Joel Embiid Trolls Bulls with 'Aaron Rodgers' Post After Staying Undefeated vs. CHI
Oct 30, 2022
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the pre-game show before playing the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Troel Embiid is officially back.
Fresh off a win over the Bulls on Saturday, the Philadelphia 76ers center took to Instagram and made a reference to Aaron Rodgers as he moved to 12-0 over Chicago in his career:
Joel Embiid posted this on IG and captioned it "Aaron Rodgers" following the Sixers win over the Bulls.
Rodgers has a career record of 23-5 vs. the Chicago Bears.
Joel Embiid has tweeted his support for Rodgers often in the past, and Rodgers has been outspoken about dominating the Chicago Bears over the years.
During Saturday's game, Embiid knocked down a go-ahead three with 18.1 seconds remaining to help spur the Sixers' 114-109 win in Chicago. The win moved the Sixers to 3-4 on the season as they try to right the ship after an 0-3 start.
Embiid has been stellar despite the Sixers' shaky start, scoring 25-plus points in five of six games while he and James Harden continue working on finding chemistry within the offense.
While it was a relatively meaningless game in the grand scheme of things, Embiid getting back to his trolling ways on social media might indicate the Sixers feel they have the ball rolling after their disastrous first three games.
76ers' Joel Embiid Hyped for Staying Undefeated vs. Bulls with Clutch Game-Winning 3
Oct 30, 2022
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 29: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers takes a breather on the bench in the first half against the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers are inching closer to a .500 record following a 114-109 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at United Center, and the team can thank Joel Embiid for helping secure the victory.
Embiid nailed the game-winning three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining to put Philly up 112-109 before Tobias Harris closed things out with two free throws to help the 76ers secure the victory.
Embiid finished the win with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 32 minutes.
Following the win, the veteran big man was praised for not only pulling off the game-winning triple, but for remaining undefeated (12-0) against the Bulls in his career:
Embiid was ruled out of Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors with a knee injury, so fans were understandably ecstatic to have him back on the court against the Bulls.
Entering Saturday's game, the five-time All-Star was averaging 27.6 points, 10 rebounds and 3.2 assists in five games while shooting 52.1 percent from the floor. Considering he's vital to the team's success, the Sixers need him healthy moving forward.
The 76ers are now 3-4 on the season and will be back in action on Monday against the Washington Wizards.
Steve Nash Says Nets' Loss to Pacers Was 'Disaster': 'Didn't See the Desire'
Oct 30, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Steve Nash of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center on October 27, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets' disastrous season continued Saturday with a 125-116 home loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The 1-5 Nets have now lost four straight games, and after the defeat, head coach Steve Nash ripped his team's performance.
Steve Nash: "That was a disaster. I didn't see the will, didn't see the desire." #Nets
Steve Nash: "We've got to look deep, deep inside ourselves and what we want to do, what we want to accomplish? Do we want to give up on this because it's been difficult early, or do we want to stay the course and start to build something?" #Nets
Ben Simmons later told reporters the Nets held a players-only meeting following the loss.
The Nets' defense has been porous through six games, with the team allowing 125 or more points on four different occasions.
On Saturday, the Nets allowed Indiana to hit 50 percent of its 46 three-point attempts. The Pacers dished 31 assists to just 12 turnovers and also out-rebounded Brooklyn 53-34.
In addition, Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin dropped 32 points off the bench in his sixth-ever NBA game.
The offense has fared better, but it's been extremely top-heavy, with only Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving averaging over 11.6 points per game. On Saturday, the duo combined 61 of the team's points (52.6 percent of the scoring effort).
The road isn't going to get much easier for the Nets. They host the Pacers again on Monday and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday before embarking on a stretch of 10 road games over their next 12 matchups.
Nets' Lack of 'Purpose' and 'Passion' Blasted by Twitter in Blowout Loss to Pacers
Oct 30, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Indiana Pacers tries to keep the ball from Patty Mills #8 of the Brooklyn Nets in the first half at Barclays Center on October 29, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets dropped to 1-5 on the season with a 125-116 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night at Barclays Center, and things are not looking good for Steve Nash's squad.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combined for 61 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the loss, and Ben Simmons finished with nine points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but scoring and overall offense have been the least of the team's problems.
The Nets entered Saturday's game with the NBA's second-worst defensive rating at 120.2, and the team's woes on that end of the court continued against the Pacers. They were out-hustled, out-rebounded and out-worked by a young Indiana team that looked hungry on Saturday night.
Following the loss, NBA Twitter took aim at Brooklyn's dysfunction on the court:
The #Nets play with no purpose and no passion. It may be early in the season, but watching them it already feels like a crisis. This could get completely away from them really fast.
There have been some bad losses for the Nets over the last few years -- but this one is one of the worst in recent memory. They got outplayed and out-hustled by a Pacers team playing without Myles Turner. On a night when they badly needed a win against a mediocre team.
Fans at Barclays starting to boo after Pacers get offensive rebound after offensive rebound on last possession. The other fans are streaming towards the exits.
Look, the Pacers are shooting lights out from beyond the arc. They're 22-for-39 from 3 -- but this would be a really damning loss on Nets players and coaches. Brooklyn has a more talented team -- they're just not playing that tough. Or together.
Pacers players and personnel celebrating loudly as they head back to the visitor’s locker room. The Nets are 1-5 and look completely demoralized slowly walking back to their locker room inside Barclays.
The Nets were expected to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference entering the 2022-23 campaign. Instead, they have been one of the worst, and they don't even look close to a team with championship aspirations.
Luckily for Brooklyn, there's still plenty of time to turn things around, and that can begin with a bounce-back game against the Pacers on Monday night.
NBA Denounces Hate Speech After Kyrie Irving's Promotion of Antisemitic Movie
Oct 29, 2022
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 27: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 27, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA released a statement denouncing "hate speech of any kind" in the wake of Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving recently promoting an antisemitic film on Twitter.
The organization also released official comments, per The Athletic's Alex Schiffer:
"The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech. We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL, who have been supportive during this time."
Nets head coach Steve Nash said Saturday that the organization spoke with Irving but did not go into much further detail.
Nash declines to go into detail about which people Kyrie has spoken to within the organization. “That’s an organizational thing.”
Has Nash been in contact with the league about Kyrie? Is any suspension possible? “I have no idea.”
Irving followed up Saturday and said he did not mean any disrespect with the tweet:
I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The “Anti-Semitic” label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.
As of Saturday evening, there hasn't been any announcement of a potential punishment for Irving following the tweet promotion. For now, he'll look to lead the 1-4 Nets back into the win column after a date with the Indiana Pacers.
Kyrie Irving Says He Meant 'No Disrespect' by Promoting Antisemitic Movie
Oct 29, 2022
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during overtime of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving says he meant "no disrespect" when he promoted a movie that contains antisemitic themes on Thursday.
Irving was widely criticized when he tweeted a link to the 2018 film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. On Saturday, he denied he is antisemitic:
I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The “Anti-Semitic” label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.
The Nets released a statement on Friday addressing the situation, per The Athletic's Alex Schiffer:
"The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech. We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL, who have been supportive during this time."
Nets governor Joe Tsai condemned Irving's promotion of the film, saying he was "disappointed" and adding he hopes to have a conversation with the point guard to help him understand why his actions are "hurtful."
The film is based on a book of the same name that was published in 2014. Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone wrote that the film is "stuffed with antisemitic tropes." Blisten wrote the film contains ideas "in line with more extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites, which have a long history of misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and especially antisemitism."
According to The Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization working to support racial justice in the Southern United States, Radical Hebrew Israelites' "central belief is that they have been robbed of their identity as being 'God's chosen people.'"
In September, the 30-year-old Irving also shared a video containing conspiracy theories from right-wing personality Alex Jones.
The instance drew the ire of NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who called Irving a "comical buffoon" for posting the video. Irving showed no remorse for the situation despite all the backlash he received.
Irving's promotion of the antisemitic film comes after Kanye West's recent antisemitic comments that resulted in him losing partnerships with several companies, including Adidas, Balenciaga, Vogue and Foot Locker. Star athletes Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams also both parted ways with West's Donda Sports marketing agency.
It also comes at a time when antisemitism is on the rise in the United States. In April, the Anti-Defamation League found that reports of antisemitic behaviour rose 34 percent between 2021 and 2020 and averaged more than seven per day.
There has not yet been any indication as to whether Irving will face any type of punishment for his actions. The Nets return to action on Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers.
Nets' Joe Tsai 'Disappointed' in Kyrie Irving Promoting Movie with Antisemitic Ideas
Oct 29, 2022
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 27: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 27, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kyrie Irving's promotion of a movie and book with antisemitic ideas in a tweet Thursday has been condemned by Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai.
In response to Irving's apparent support for the 2018 film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, Tsai said Friday he is "disappointed" in the veteran point guard and wants to have a conversation with Irving so that Irving recognizes his "hurtful" actions:
The Nets organization also released a statement about the matter Friday, via The Athletic's Alex Schiffer:
“The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech. We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL, who have been supportive during this time.”
Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America is based on an antisemitic book of the same name that was published in 2015. It contains ideas "in line with more extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites, which have a long history of misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and especially antisemitism," according to a Rolling Stone article published by Jon Blistein.
The Anti-Defamation League notes that "BHI teachings become explicitly hateful when coupled with racial superiority and accusations against white individuals and specific hatred towards the Jewish community. Extremist Black Hebrew Israelites assert that white people are agents of Satan, Jews are liars and false worshipers of God, and Blacks are racially superior and the only true 'chosen people.'"
Irving's post follows antisemitic comments made recently by Kanye West (who legally changed his name to Ye). West's actions have resulted in both Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald and Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown parting ways with his Donda Sports marketing agency.
In addition, several companies have ended their partnerships with West, including Adidas, Balenciaga, Vogue and Foot Locker.
It remains to be seen if Irving will face similar consequences for his actions.
Irving, the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, is in the final year of a contract he signed with the Nets ahead of the 2019-20 season and is due to become a free agent over the summer.
76ers' Joel Embiid Won't Play vs. Raptors Because of Knee Injury
Oct 28, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA - MAY 12: Joel Embiid of Philadelphia 76ers in action during NBA semifinals between Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on May 12, 2022. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers will be without superstar center Joel Embiid against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night due to right knee recovery, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
It will mark the first absence this season for Embiid, who is averaging 27.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 blocks in five contests this season.
Since missing his first two seasons with foot and knee issues, injuries have been a storyline in Embiid's career.
He largely stayed healthy during the 2021-22 season, playing in a career-high 68 games. He finished as the MVP runner-up behind Nikola Jokić for the second straight year, averaging a league-best 30.6 points to go along with 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
However, injuries again reared their head in the playoffs. Embiid sprained his right thumb in Game 3 of the team's first-round series with the Raptors and fractured his face late in Game 6 of that series after taking an elbow from Pascal Siakam.
That injury cost him the first two games of the team's second-round series with the Miami Heat, which both ended in losses.
After the season, Embiid had surgery on both his thumb and on a previously unreported left index finger injury.
When asked about his fluke injuries in the 2021-22 playoffs, the 28-year-old told reporters:
"I don't regret it because it's life. It happens. You just got to deal with it. It sucks. Not, not looking for any excuses. But those are just the facts. It sucks. I don't think anybody will believe that I was 100 percent. So it does suck to get to the stage and not be yourself, not being able to do what you want and your body not allowing you to just be yourself. So it sucks, but I have no regrets."
Embiid is both Philly's best offensive player and its defensive keystone, so it is a concern any time he misses time, even though Friday's absence sounds more like load management than an injury.
The Sixers have struggled this season even with Embiid in the lineup, going 1-4, and beating the Raptors without him will be a massive challenge.
With Embiid out, the 76ers will turn to P.J. Tucker and Montrezl Harrell to eat up more frontcourt minutes alongside Tobias Harris.
Knicks' Tom Thibodeau Calls Questioning RJ Barrett's Defensive Workload 'Comical'
Oct 28, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 24: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks looks on during the first quarter of the game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on October 24, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
New York Knicks star RJ Barrett appears to have taken on a heavier workload defensively this season, but head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't see it that way.
"No. That's comical," Thibodeau told reporters Friday when asked if Barrett was taking on a bigger defensive workload this year to make up for a lack of defense brought on by the duo of Jalen Brunson and Evan Fournier.
Barrett has had to cover a number of perimeter scorers, mainly the opposing team's top perimeter threat, early on this season because he's a far better defender than Brunson and Fournier.
The 22-year-old ranked fifth in the NBA in distance covered on defense entering Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, this is nothing new for him.
Barrett led the Knicks in distance traveled in each of his first three seasons with the franchise, which selected him third overall in the 2019 NBA draft out of Duke.
It's been just four games, but it appears Barrett's focus on defense has led to an impact in his scoring efficiency. He's averaging 17.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 37.0 percent from the floor and 14.3 percent from deep.
During the 2021-22 campaign, Barrett averaged a career-high 20.0 points, in addition to 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 70 games while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
For what it's worth, Barrett shot at least 40 percent from the floor in each of his first three seasons.
The Ontario native told reporters (h/t Bondy) that he doesn't believe the amount of ground he has had to cover defensively has led to his scoring issues.
"I don’t know. I feel like I was guarding people last year, ended up doing pretty well," Barrett said. "I definitely could be playing better offensively, and I feel my rhythm coming back after not playing for a while."
Quentin Grimes could take some of the defensive workload off Barrett in the future, though it's unclear when he will return from his foot injury.
The Knicks enter Friday's game with a 3-1 record. If they don't get some help defensively, they'll likely be a step behind the East's top-tier teams.
Kyrie Irving Puts on 'Absolute Show,' Wows Twitter as Nets Fall to Luka Dončić, Mavs
Oct 28, 2022
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 27: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 27, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The hits keep on coming for the Brooklyn Nets despite the best efforts of Kyrie Irving in a 129-125 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at Barclays Center.
Irving scored 39 points on 14-of-31 shooting, but he couldn't prevent Brooklyn from falling to 1-4 to open the 2022-23 NBA season.
Still, the dynamic guard's singular brilliance is partially why the Nets remain so tantalizing as a title contender despite all of the drama surrounding the franchise last year. There's almost nothing an opposing defense can do when Irving is at his best.
The Nets firmly had the momentum heading into overtime. Ben Simmons helped bring the home fans to their feet when he deflected a Luka Dončić pass to start the fast break and then laid the ball off for a game-tying dunk with 8.8 seconds remaining.
Luka Dončić hit a jumper to get the extra frame underway, and the Mavs didn't look back from there. Dončić poured in a game-high 41 points and added 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his first triple-double of the year.
While Thursday's defeat isn't a reason for panic, it has to be at least a little concerning the Nets could get 76 points from their two best players and still fail to come out on the winning end.
A pair of home games against the 1-4 Indiana Pacers could be just what they need to get things turned around.
