Credit: AFP - Scanpix
Credit AFP - Scanpix

When the Game 2 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors NBA Playoff series was nearing an end, 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid and Raptors head coach Nick Nurse were seen exchanging words with each other.

3-pointers this season

35%
11,9
Points made: 11,9
Accuracy: 34,9%
Place in standings: 19
Record max: 18
Record min: 6
Most made 3FGs: Fred VanVleet

The discussion seems to have been passionate, so Embiid was asked about it during the post-game press conference later that evening.

"He's a great coach obviously, what he's been able to accomplish I always been a big fan," Embiid told the media. "But I told him, respectfully, to stop b****ing about calls because I saw what he said last game."

"I mean, if you're going to triple-team somebody all game, they're bound to get to the free-throw line..." Embiid explained. "So, I feel like every foul was legit and probably should've been more."

After Game 1 of the series, Nurse was adamant that his team needed to receive more favorable calls from the referees than they did in the first match.

"We gotta believe that if we're legal defensively, that they're gonna call those," Nurse told reporters after the game. "We had a couple of times where we beat [Embiid] to the spot and he bowled us right over and they just let them lay it in."

"I don't care if you're 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, if you beat him to the spot and he runs you over, it's a foul," Nurse continued. "I thought he threw three or four elbows to the face. He got called for one. We're going to stand in there."

"If we're legal defensively, then we gotta have them call it or we don't have a chance," Nurse added. "Period. Nobody can guard that guy if they're just gonna let him run you over time and time again."

It now looks like Nurse has taken the high road. "He was saying to me that 'I'm going to keep making all the free throws if you keep fouling me', and I said, 'Well, you might have to'," Nurse said. "A good player, man. I have a lot of respect for him."

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