76ers' Joel Embiid: Nets taking 'the Nick Nurse route' with foul complaints

The Toronto Raptors are still living rent-free in Joel Embiid's head, even if they're not in the playoffs this year.

The Philadelphia 76ers superstar accused the Brooklyn Nets of “begging for free throws and calling out the referees” after his team’s 96-84 win in Game 2 of their first-round series, tying it to a similar situation he found himself in with the Raptors last postseason.

After losing Game 1 against the Sixers, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn complained about the discrepancy in foul calls against Embiid compared to other players, urging the officials to balance the game. Evidently, the MVP candidate caught wind of Vaughn’s comments and addressed them after Game 2, brazenly calling out Raptors head coach Nick Nurse in the process.

“I saw after the game last time, they (Nets) kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees,” Embiid said. “Then they come out and they got a lot of calls, which I guess is good for them.”

Philadelphia was called for 22 fouls during Monday’s contest, while the Nets committed 20. Embiid finished the game with 20 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks.

This isn’t the first time Embiid and Nurse have traded shots at one another through the media. After Game 2 of last year’s first-round playoff series between the Sixers and Raptors, the 29-year-old told Nurse to stop overreacting to the whistle.

“He’s a great coach obviously, what he’s been able to accomplish, I always been a big fan,” Embiid told reporters. “But I told him, respectfully, to stop b****ing about calls because I saw what he said last game. I mean, if you’re going to triple-team somebody all game, they’re bound to get to the free-throw line... So, I feel like every foul was legit and probably should’ve been more.”

Nurse consistently spoke about the lack of offensive fouls called against Embiid, contesting that Raptors players were receiving elbows to the face. Philadelphia went on to win the series in six games.