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Marcus Morris Sr. isn’t one to back down from a physical battle and that includes All-Star big man Joel Embiid.

Joel Embiid has a knack for pissing people from Philadelphia off. Marcus Morris Sr. happens to be one of them. Recently traded from the New York Knicks to the Los Angeles Clippers, Morris wasted no time showing his new teammates that he battles.

Sidenote: Ian Eagle should think about calling a UFC fight one of these days.

But back to Morris and Embiid. Both players were assessed technical fouls and the game continued with Philly holding onto a single-digit lead with 2:48 remaining. Embiid ended up having the last laugh against the Philly native, securing an acrobatic block against Morris just a few possessions later. The Sixers won the game 110-103.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers went to a small-ball lineup late against the jumbo Sixers. Morris was tasked with covering Embiid which is ironic considering the fact that Morris played 85% of his minutes at small forward with the Knicks.

Although Morris lost the battle to Embiid this time around, this example of toughness and grittiness is part of the reason why the Clippers were so aggressive to acquire the veteran forward. The fact that he’s shooting 43.4% from three-point land certainly helped motivate the Clippers as well.

Rivers and the Clippers weren’t able to crack the 76ers, who improved to a league-best 25-2 mark at home. Despite their impressive home record, Philly is 9-19 on the road and remains one of the most confusing teams in the NBA.

NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.