WATCH: Knicks fans serenade Joel Embiid with “F*ck Embiid” chant after collision with Jalen Brunson

Joel Embiid had a hard time at Madison Square Garden dealing with the tough crowd that aimed obscenities at the Philadelphia center. Following his return from the long absence, Embiid was focused on leading his team to a championship title. However, on seeing his side lose, the big man couldn’t keep his cool.

At one point, when Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson had the ball, the Cameroonian center came from behind and pushed him. By that time, Jalen Brunson had gotten away from Kelly Oubre Jr.’s hands and arrived at the spot, taking the ball from Robinson. But within a few seconds, he was shoved on the floor by Embiid. The scenes on the court offended the New York crowd and they started to take out their frustration by chanting, “F*ck Embiid”.

The Sixers’ man received a foul for his act on Robinson and suffered a 104-111 defeat on Saturday in their first game of the playoff series. Although the New York side received heavy criticism before they could display their potential in the post-season, they put up a great show led by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, scoring 22 points each, while Miles McBride chipped in 21 points.

Embiid and his team will have enough chances to recover in the seven-game series but this seemed difficult when the 7-footer picked up an injury in the game that sidelined him.

Joel Embiid avoids injury scare during Knicks game

With more than two minutes remaining in the first half, the Sixers faced a major blow when Joel Embiid fell to the ground, holding his left leg. The 7-time All-Star threw the ball that hit the backboard and returned to him, which he successfully dunked, securing two points for his team. However, Embiid immediately went down on the floor clutching his knee, which gave a flashback of his long-term injury.

The 30-year-old was soon taken to the locker room to avoid any further damage and was present with the Philadelphia squad to start the second half, which confirms his fitness status.

Despite his 29-point contribution along with Tyrese Maxey’s 33, the Sixers could not snatch the win against the strong New Yorkers. Facing the hard crowd again on Monday and acquiring the win will be a challenging task for Joel Embiid and his Sixers.