History of Nick Nurse and Joel Embiid: Playoff matchups, sideswipes, and call complaints

Nick Nurse has always known that Joel Embiid is a high-caliber player.

In his book, Rapture: Fifteen Teams, Four Countries, One NBA Championship, and How to Find a Way to Win — Damn Near Anywhere, Nurse looked back on Game 3 of the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the Sixers.

He referred to it as the “airplane game.” Embiid kept running around with his arms angled up after every positive play, and Nurse complimented the Sixers big man’s dominance after he scored 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and posted five blocks.

But being an opponent of Embiid meant understanding the gifted 7-foot center’s game and finding ways to disrupt it. So, as Nurse noted in his book, he told the Raptors: “Listen, Embiid’s a different player if he doesn’t get off to a good start. He rides the crowd.”

And the newly hired Sixers head coach was right. Embiid was caught in Toronto’s aggressive double- and triple-team defense and couldn’t get into any rhythm. That series ended in Game 7 when Kawhi Leonard delivered the game-winning shot that left the Sixers star in tears.

» READ MORE: With Joel Embiid’s blessing, Sixers and Nick Nurse should have agreed to terms days ago

The two developed an unlikely rivalry after the Sixers’ difficult 2019 second-round exit. But the team’s future success now hinges on the relationship Nurse and Embiid build going forward.

For now, here’s a look at more moments from their past interactions.

After the Raptors fell in Game 1 of the series against the Sixers, Nurse complained that the referees allowed Embiid to get away with elbowing several Toronto players. He believed Embiid should have been whistled for more fouls.

Embiid got wind of the comment, and near the end of Game 2, he had a chat with Nurse on the sidelines, which the center later discussed during postgame interviews.

“He’s a great coach, obviously, what he’s been able to accomplish. I’ve always been a big fan,” Embiid said postgame on April 18, 2022. “But I told him, respectfully, to stop [expletive] 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. … I feel like [the] fouls were legit and probably should’ve been more.”

Embiid heard complaints about the officiating after Game 1 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets. It reminded Embiid of his experience with Nurse. So during a postgame interview after Game 2, Embiid threw in a jab at Nets coach Jacque Vaughn that sideswiped Nurse.

“I saw after the game last time, they kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees,” Embiid said. “Then they come out, and they got a lot of calls, which I guess is good for them.”