Joel Embiid and the Sixers appear to have found a new foe in the Pistons.

Joel Embiid got under the Pistons’ skin on Friday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers have already had their fair share of physical battles in the 2023-2024 NBA season, resulting in a dissatisfied losing squad.

Add the Detroit Pistons to the Sixers’ list of opponents this season.

Joel Embiid said his final shot ruffled some feathers during Friday night’s comeback victory over the Pistons. Going against basketball’s unwritten norm of jacking up a final shot during the final seconds when the game is out of reach for the opponent, Embiid drew some criticism for himself, which he explained after the game.

“The only thing I noticed was people trying to fight me because they don’t know the rules,” Embiid told reporters after the game, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. “When it comes to the tournament, points matter. I wish that shot would have counted — and I actually didn’t know that they was trying to fight me. So I wish I would have seen that, but everything counts.”

The Sixers’ first clash for group play in the NBA’s brand new In-Season Tournament began on Friday night. Embiid tried for a buzzer-beater shot to get an extra three points for his side, but it didn’t count because referees ruled it a late shot that came after the clock expired.

Regardless of the tournament rules, what happened after the game suggests that the Sixers have made another adversary eight games into the season.

The Toronto Raptors were the first to go. Before the Sixers faced the Raptors for the first time this season, first-year Sixer Patrick Beverley slammed them, saying they have “no dogs.”

Beverley called out the Raptors on X after the Sixers defeated them on the road in October. The Raptors paid a visit to the Sixers in South Philly the next week. Following a second loss to the 76ers, Beverley went on X to reiterate his remarks.

Last week’s game against the Washington Wizards was similar to the Sixers’ Friday night clash with the Pistons. Early in the game, the underdogs’ physicality gave them an advantage. Once Joel Embiid used his confessed rage, it was game over for the Wizards and their center, Daniel Gafford, who had previously stated that he despised playing against Joel Embiid.

After their first-half domination on Friday night turned into a strangled lead, the Pistons are probably feeling the same way. After leading 56-48 at halftime and keeping the MVP to just 13 points in 17 minutes of action, the Pistons put together an amazing 24 minutes to start the game.

They lost control in the second half. Embiid arrived for 18 minutes. During that period, he shot 5-9 from the field and made nine of ten free throw attempts. The big guy scored 20 points in the second half, raising his season total to about 33 points. He also had 16 rebounds for a double-double.

On Friday, the Sixers won their seventh straight game and added another foe to their list. They’ll play the Indiana Pacers at home on Sunday night to continue their season. The 76ers’ newest temporary rivalry with the Pistons will resume on December 13 when Embiid and the team return to Detroit. Given how things went down on Friday, Detroit may have that one circled on their calendar.