Mitchell Robinson recalls Joel Embiid's takedown in the playoffs: "Hell, if I did it, I would have been out and suspended"

With the Philadelphia 76ers down 2-0 in their first-round series against the more physical New York Knicks, 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid decided to fight fire with fire.

However, Embiid was so carried away by trying to match the Knicks' physicality that he tried at least three 'dirty' plays against their opponents in the first half. That included grabbing Mitchell Robinson by the leg, attempting to take him down, and pushing the Knicks center on the way down.

That intentional act only drew a Flagrant Foul 1 from the referees, which caused an uproar from the Knicks after the game. Two months after the incident, Robinson discussed the play during his appearance on Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart's Roommates Podcast.

"I was just like it really wasn't nothing, like at the moment," said Robinson. "But then, like, I keep seeing the video over and over. Then I'm like, 'Alright, bro.' Like, come on, now. But, like, it wasn't that serious. I mean, he ain't have to grab my leg, though."

Embiid could have injured Robinson

What Embiid did wasn't a basketball play—he was frustrated when he fell and tried to take Robinson down with him. Also, given Mitchell's injury woes last season, Joel's blatant act could have injured the Knicks big man even further.

Embiid denied trying to hurt Robinson, claiming he was protecting himself. The one-time MVP said he had flashbacks of Jonathan Kuminga landing on his knee, which caused him to miss significant time. But Robinson says that if it were the other way around, he would have gotten a harsher punishment,

"Hell, if I did it, I would have been out and suspended. I would have been up out of there," Mitchell concluded.

It was the turning point of the game

Embiid's Khabib-like takedown was the turning point of the game. Without their prized big man, Joel went to work and displayed his full offensive arsenal, knocking down jumpers and three-pointers and drawing tons of fouls to get to the free-throw line.

The Sixers superstar finished the game with a career playoff high of 50 points, and Philadelphia avoided going down 3-0 with a 125-114 win in front of their hometown fans.

On the other hand, Robinson missed Game 4 but managed to play in Games 5 and 6. However, he appeared in just one contest in the second round when the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Knicks.

Related: "I'm going to piss some people off" - Joel Embiid kept his nickname "The Process" to trigger the NBA