Mitchell Robinson leaves arena in boot after controversial Joel Embiid foul

A home loss on Thursday night would put the Philadelphia 76ers at a 3-0 deficit. But Joel Embiid made it clear after Game 2 that he didn't want to lose anymore. He then showed that on Philly's home court by playing physically and scoring 50 points.

In the first half alone, Embiid committed three notable fouls. The first quarter was an offensive foul after hitting Isaiah Hartenstein in the groin. Embiid did a similar act in the second quarter when he swung his leg upward dramatically and hit Mitchell Robinson in the groin as well.

Those fouls were nothing compared to the foul Embiid committed on Robinson, which ultimately led to Robinson getting put in a boot and not returning to the game.

For that play, he was assessed only a Flagrant 1.

After the game, multiple Knicks players called out the play. Donte DiVincenzo called it a "dirty play." Hartenstein said it "wasn't a basketball play." Josh Hart said it was a "reckless play."

But Embiid claimed he was trying to protect himself when asked about the play.

"It's unfortunate," Embiid said. "I didn't mean to hurt anybody. In those situations I gotta protect myself because I've been in way too many situations where I'm the recipient of the bad end of it. It was unfortunate."

When Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about the flagrant foul after the game, he responded, "Which one?"

But now the Knicks could lose Robinson after the nasty foul. Robinson didn't play the second half of the game because of his ankle, which was injured Thursday night. He has already missed 50 games due to this injury.

Mitchell Robinson re-injured his ankle after Joel Embiid's flagrant

There is no official confirmation if that play led to Robinson's injury, but it may have contributed to his ailing ankle, which he was already listed as questionable before the game. But after the game, the Knicks were concerned when Robinson was spotted in a boot leaving Wells Fargo.

If Robinson fights through and suits up for Game 4 against Embiid then it's going to be yet again another physical matchup between the two crippled big men.