We didn't even know if Joel Embiid was going to play just hours before tonight's contest as he was listed as a game-time decision with knee soreness.
Play he did. And he treated the Wells Fargo Center crowd to one of the more energetic moments of the evening.
The Sixers beat the Jazz in South Philly on Monday night to bounce back from that tough loss on Saturday.
Embiid was a big part of that. He finished with 15 points, 11 boards, 3 assists and a couple of blocks.
It was one block on Donovan Mitchell in particular that had the Center going bonkers.
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The STUFF.
The STARE.
The SHOVE.
Joel Embiid, ladies and gentlemen. pic.twitter.com/qkI6PbS3Bo— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 21, 2017
The block, the stare down, the technical foul signal, the crowd pumping... Embiid provided a perfect moment.
"It was some good theater and the two embraced afterwards. It was fun to watch," Marc Zumoff said after the game.
Mitchell wrote it off as a rookie mistake.
"Just gotta keep my head," Mitchell said. "It's a learning experience. Especially in that situation when we're making a comeback."
Whether they were making a comeback or not is debatable.
"I shouldn't have done it. I should have just let it go."
Brett Brown was okay with the play.
"I'm always mindful of how do we stay disciplined," Brown said. "Jo understands it's risky if you taunt. I want my guys playing with an edge. I want them to feel some level of swagger and feel good about themselves. That was a big play. It certainly got the crowd involved."
As for his part in the incident, Embiid admitted he may have embellished just a bit. The big guy is not that easy to move.
