The New York Knicks benefitted from a controversial call late into the fourth quarter during Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, as officials determined that Myles Turner set an illegal screen on Donte DiVincenzo with 12 seconds left on the game clock.
DiVincenzo sold the contact with Turner, flopping massively as he hit the deck with his arms flailing. Officials didn’t seem to think it was a flop, however, and despite a Pacers’ coaches challenge, the ruling of an illegal screen stood following a review.
The controversial call from the officials, as well as DiVincenzo’s stunning acting job, prompted a bold one-word response from Joel Embiid, who shared his thoughts on the situation on X.
DiVincenzo may have successfully sold the contact and fooled the referees, but it seems Embiid wasn’t quite so easily tricked, and he couldn’t help but have a laugh after the game-changing sequence in Game 1.
Of course, Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by New York, though that didn’t dissuade the 30-year-old from weighing in on the situation.
The Knicks escaped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in wild fashion, thanks to some sloppy play down the stretch from Indiana and a crucial ruling from officials on Turner’s moving screen, one which it seems Embiid could barely believe.
