AP Photo/Matt Slocum
- Joel Embiid and Eric Bledsoe got into a minor scuffle at the start of Thursday night’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks.
- After Embiid instigated a bit of action, Bledsoe fired the ball at him, with both teams being separated before things escalated too far.
- But for those listening to the game on the radio, a completely different picture of the fight was painted, with radio announcer Tom McGinnis hilariously over-selling the conflict while caught up in the moment.
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 128-122, on Thursday night in a thrilling game that may have been a preview of the Eastern Conference Championship later this postseason.
While the game came down to the wire, listening to radio announcer Tom McGinnis, fans might have thought the most compelling action came in the opening minutes when Joel Embiid got into a minor scuffle with Eric Bledsoe.
Embiid, a known provocateur on the court, bumped an elbow a bit too wide while boxing out, which was met with a slight shove in the back from Bledsoe.
When Embiid found the ball in his hands, he tossed it towards Bledsoe in a dismissive fashion, only to have Bledsoe fire it back, with both teams subsequently coming together to make sure nothing escalated further.
In NBA terms, this as a minor fracas far short of a brawl — Embiid seems to troll his way into some version of this situation about every two weeks. Bledsoe was ejected and Embiid was awarded a technical, but neither player was ever close to earning a suspension.
But to those listening to McGinnis’ call of the game on Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic, this was the fight of the century or even the main event of WrestleMania.
"He just whipped the ball at Embiid!" McGinnis exclaimed. "I have not seen a violent act like that in years! Get him OUT!"
You can listen to McGinnis’ frantic call below.
The following day, 97.5’s "Farzetta & Tra in the Morning" further broke down McGinnis’ play-by-play.
"Tom was overflowing with emotion right there. The voice was cracking," they joked. "He’s the bad man of radio row!"
You can listen to their whole conversation of the call here, starting around the 14-minute mark.
It’s hard to fault McGinnis’ for his excitement — the passion of local announcers is what makes their broadcasts so compelling to listen to in the first place.
That said, if you were listening to the game on the radio last night and woke up wondering when Bledsoe was going to be banned from the league, remember it’s best to check the tape before jumping to further conclusions.
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Tyler Lauletta)