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One Pacers assistant really hates the 76ers, and he’s not afraid to tell you about it

The Indiana Pacers came up just short on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center, falling to the Philadelphia 76ers, 119-116.

Now, days later, at least one Pacers coach is still bitter about it.

Indiana assistant coach Dan Burke was asked about the loss before their matchup on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum, and didn’t hold back.

“I hate that team. I really wanted to win that game,” Burke said. “I think [Joel] Embiid gets away with a bunch of crap the league ignores, and it would have been a good one to just walk away from.”

To be fair, Embiid is no stranger to controversy. He is a frequent agitator on the court, often sparking extracurriculars during contests that upset plenty of people across the league.

He did, though, have a stellar outing on Saturday night. Embiid dropped 32 points, had 11 rebounds and went 15-of-15 from the free-throw line, helping Philadelphia escape with the win late.

“I changed my mindset,” Embiid said after that game, via the Associated Press. “I hadn’t been as aggressive, so I’ve been more aggressive creating contact and causing other people to foul me.”

If it’s any consolation, the Pacers flew past the Grizzlies to a 117-104 win on Monday night behind a 19-point game from Malcolm Brogdon and a huge double-double from Domantas Sabonis, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds.

It’s probably safe to assume, though, that Burke already has their next matchup against Philadelphia on Dec. 31 circled on his calendar.

After falling just short of knocking the 76ers off on the road on Saturday, Indiana assistant Dan Burke didn’t hide his feelings about Philadelphia.
After falling just short of knocking the 76ers off on the road on Saturday, Indiana assistant Dan Burke didn’t hide his feelings about Philadelphia. (Charles Krupa/AP)

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