Joel Embiid: 'I Saved' Regina King Jumping over Her for Loose Ball vs. Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid hurdled over Golden Globe-winning actress Regina King en route to saving the ball from going out of bounds in his team's 126-111 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday:

Unfortunately, Madison Square Garden statistician Dave Fried felt the brunt of the leap. He turned out to be OK, however, and even had a joint interview with Embiid after the game:

Fried told Rebecca Haarlow of MSG Network that a player has hurdled into him a few times but never someone as big as Embiid.

After the game, Embiid made the following comments about the leap in regard to King, per ESPN News Services: "It's good that I saved her life, I guess, but someone else had to, like, take that. I'm sorry about that."

King offered the following postgame response:

King is up for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk. Per Gold Derby, she is the current favorite to win. She has already won the Golden Globe for her performance.

Embiid's hustle is certainly admirable, but even he admitted on MSG Network that he shouldn't have made the leap in a regular-season game.

Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown's heart probably skipped a beat on the play. He gave the following remarks: "Just like I think our owners and our fans back home were thinking. You respect his aggression and his passion, but you don't want that. I say that out of love and care. It's stuff you hope to avoid."

The 76ers are off until February 21 when they host the Miami Heat, but Embiid and teammate Ben Simmons will take part in the All-Star Game on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.