PHILADELPHIA — The physicality was written all over Isaiah Hartenstein’s neck, the scratch marks befitting a raccoon attack.
The Sixers, and Joel Embiid, in particular, had gone full-on WWE heel with two groin shots, a two-legged takedown and an eye slap from Kyle Lowry.
Somewhere along the way, Hartenstein was clawed on his neck and chest.
And as Hartenstein sat in his locker Thursday night all he had to show for it was a 125-114 loss, a 50-point gem from the man he was guarding and persistent foul trouble.
“The biggest thing is the free throws,” said Hartenstein, referencing Embiid going 19 for 21 from the stripe while serving up his 50-burger. “That gets him in rhythm. He made six 3s. Most of them were contested. So sometimes you gotta live with that. But just playing more team defense and being more physical and not let him get to the foul line where he can catch rhythm.”
Defending Embiid was already a daunting task for the Knicks, often dependent on the status of his surgically repaired knee, the sensitivity of the officiating or, apparently, how the center’s reacting to a bout of Bell’s palsy.
But now it’s very possible, likely even, the Knicks will have to combat the reigning MVP without their backup center and biggest body in Mitchell Robinson.
He left Wells Fargo Center in a walking boot around his surgically repaired left ankle, surviving Embiid’s takedown without injury only to hurt the joint on a subsequent play.
Robinson’s ankle has been fragile ever since he returned in late March after a 50-game absence and he was “questionable” Thursday even before he started limping around the court.
A Knicks PR person escorted Robinson out of the arena, and Tom Thibodeau had no update.
“I haven’t talked to medical,” the coach said.
Embiid could’ve been tossed twice for dirty plays.
He dragged down Robinson from the ground in the first quarter — which resulted in a Flagrant 1, despite strong arguments it was a Flagrant 2 — and then kicked Robinson in the groin while taking a jumper (that was ignored).
Embiid stayed in the game, dominated the third quarter, and Robinson was fitted for a walking boot.
“It’s always difficult when [Robinson’s] out,” Hartenstein said. “I think together we’re probably the best center duo in the league right now.”
Without Robinson, the Knicks would have to rely more on two things:
1) Hartenstein, who was managing Achilles pain for much of the regular season, remaining on the court.
He was largely splitting time with Robinson during this series, but needed to sit extra minutes in Game 3 because of foul trouble.
His push floater was working well and he finished with 14 points in 26 minutes, but stopping Embiid was an issue and the Knicks were outscored by 24 with Hartenstein on the court.
Hartenstein was also kneed in the groin by Embiid, which hurt more because of Embiid’s brace.
“It’s more of there was something in his knee — his brace or something that was sharp mostly,” Hartenstein said. “I don’t think he did anything crazy flagrant. It was just something that was in his knee brace that kind of chipped me. At the end of the day, I didn’t think it was that flagrant.”
2) Precious Achiuwa stepping up.
Removed from the eight-man rotation before the series, Achuiwa was thrust into the game in the second half and played well defensively — although he picked up three fouls over just 10 minutes.
Achiuwa isn’t an ideal matchup for Embiid because he’s too small and more of a power forward than a center.
But he’s quick enough to cause Embiid problems on the perimeter, and the Sixers backup center — Paul Reed — is easy to deal with.
Either way, Achuiwa and Hartenstein will be plenty motivated.
They’re both free agents after the season.
Embiiid has plenty left on his contract but is battling for his legacy and was undeterred by either the Knicks or the officiating in Game 2.
He established the tone with the groin shots, and nobody stopped him.
“They want to bring the physicality. We can be physical too, and we are,” Embiid said. “So it goes both ways.”
Now it’s the Knicks turn to respond — or not.
“We have to come in on Sunday and from the beginning throw the first punch,” Miles McBride said, “and keep throwing them.”
