The Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves game turned into an MMA fight Wednesday, with a bench-clearing brawl that ended with Karl-Anthony Towns tapping out from Ben Simmons’s choke-hold.
The wild brawl occurred in the third quarter of Wednesday’s NBA game when Timberwolves center Towns became incensed over what he felt was overly aggressive play by the 76ers center Joel Embiid.
The two began pushing and shoving prompting both teams to hit the boards to join the fracas. But, in short order, Towns hit the floor with Ben Simmons on top of him and and delivering a choke-hold.
In seconds, Towns slammed his hand on the boards and tapped out causing Simmons to let loose.
Officials soon ejected Embiid for starting the fight, but instead of slinking off shamed, Embiid left the game looking more like a victorious champion as the home crowd cheered him wildly.
As to Simmons and his choke-hold, officials deemed his act that of a “peacemaker” and not an aggressor, so he was not ejected.
The Sixers also protested Embiid’s ejection maintaining that KAT was the aggressor, not Embiid.
Once the dust settled, the Sixers ended up winning the game in a 117-95 final.
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