76ers' Joel Embiid fined $75,000 for obscene gesture towards Celtics fans
Today at 09:31 PM
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid’s season has been defined by Murphy’s Law thus far. That continued on Friday, as the former MVP was punished for an obscene gesture he made at TD Garden on Wednesday, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
“The NBA announced Joel Embiid was fined $75,000 for making ‘obscene gestures’ during the first half of Philly's Christmas Day win in Boston,” Bontemps reported.
The fine has nothing to do with Embiid’s ejection against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, via ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
“The gesture was Embiid saying "F*** you" to the crowd with a double-armed gesture,” Siegel said.
Even when Embiid wins, he loses. The seven-time All-Star returned to action on Monday as he deals with a sprained left foot and sinus fracture, but he got thrown out for confronting a referee over a call, which she later admitted was a mistake. Then, he took a hit to his bank account for lashing out at rowdy Boston Celtics fans.
On the bright side, Philadelphia won both games and is now a half-game behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, which is the final Play-In Tournament slot. While the Sixers undoubtedly didn’t envision going 11-17 out of the gate, there’s still time to fix what’s been a trying campaign thus far.
Health is key for Joel Embiid, 76ers
Philadelphia has been bitten by the injury bug hard, as previous Rookie of the Year Jared McCain went down with a torn meniscus and is out for the season. That’s not to mention Embiid’s perpetual ailments, as he’s only played nine games thus far. Ditto for recently-acquired star Paul George, who’s only played 18 out of 28 contests.
As of now, though, the team is in the best position it’s been in all year. George is fully healed, and Tyrese Maxey has been spectacular as usual, leading the team with 25.7 points, 5.4 assists, and two steals per game. Meanwhile, Embiid is listed as a game-time decision against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, via ESPN.
The Sixers still have a hole to climb out of, but they have the talent to do it as long as their Big Three stays on the court.
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