76ers' Embiid says Nets beg for calls — just like Raptors' Nurse

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid thinks the Brooklyn Nets are taking a page out of Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse's playbook -- and he let them know it on Monday.

After the 76ers took a 2-0 series lead on the Nets with a 96-84 win, Embiid said Brooklyn did the same thing as Nurse after Game 1 of the Philly-Toronto first-round series last year -- complain about the officiating.

“I saw after the game last time, they (Nets) 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."

Late in a Game 2 Sixers win last year, Nurse and the 76ers centre had a long conversation on the court about foul calls.

“He was saying to me that “I’m going to keep making all the free throws if you keep fouling’ and I said ‘well, you might have to,’” Nurse said.

After that game, Embiid gave further details.

"He’s a great coach obviously, what he’s been able to accomplish I always been a big fan," Embiid told reporters. "But I told him, respectfully, to stop b------g 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... So, I feel like every foul was legit and probably should’ve been more."

After a Game 1 loss, Nurse told reporters that the refs missed several shots to the face. The 76ers ended up winning the series in six games.

The Nets, meanwhile, felt Embiid should have been called for some travelling infractions in their Game 1.

“Hopefully they’ll be calling travel and three seconds on the big fella next game,” coach Jacque Vaughn said.

The comments each year haven't seemed to affect Embiid. He had 20 points and 19 rebounds on Monday.