The 5 best personal beefs from Heat-76ers Game 3
5. Joel Embiid vs. Hassan Whiteside
In Round 1 of the postseason matchup between Embiid and Whiteside, the Phantom of the Process got the better of his beleaguered counterpart.
The masked man finished with 23 points on 5-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, three 3-pointers and a steal in 30 minutes, while Whiteside was limited for the third straight game, tallying only five points on 1-of-1 shooting, two rebounds and a block in 13 minutes.
Given how many altercations broke out Thursday, it’s a minor miracle Embiid and Whiteside weren’t center stage for one. Blame the latter’s foul trouble for that.
The main trolling moment between the two came early in the second quarter after Embiid drove to the basket and drew Whiteside’s third foul. The Sixers center immediately jabbed three fingers in the air to signal that his counterpart would be taking a seat for the remainder of the half.
Given the history between these two, a confrontation is all but inevitable at some point this series. After all, the two engaged in one of the NBA’s best (and most lopsided) Twitter battles after a preseason game.
Dude they had to take your ass out or you would’ve fouled out in 5 min... And we’re talking about Preseason, not regular season..... #Softy https://t.co/IAIBDDypFK
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 14, 2017
And keep caring about stats and not your team success..... your +/- was ass @youngwhiteside #Softy
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 14, 2017
Though Embiid resisted the temptation to troll Whiteside on social media following Thursday’s game, that temporary calm won’t last forever. Get your popcorn ready.
Next: 4. Justin Anderson vs. Dwyane Wade