JOEL EMBIID, KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS EJECTED AFTER HUGE 76ERS/T-WOLVES BRAWL

The City of Brotherly Love did not live up to its nickname Wednesday night.

Midway through the third quarter, Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid were involved in an on-court altercation, with the two big men exchanging shoves and punches behind the play:

The two All-Stars were eventually separated, but not before the scuffle made its way down to the court.

Both Towns (13 points, six rebounds) and Embiid (19 points, five rebounds) were ejected for their roles in the fight. Philadelphia led 77-55 at the time of the incident.

On his way to the locker room, Embiid played to the home crowd:

This is just the latest chapter of the rivalry.

Back in December 2017, Embiid celebrated a victory in Minnesota on social media, leading to some back-and-forth between the two NBA stars:

Following a victory over the Timberwolves in January, Embiid also had some fun at Towns and Co.'s expense by referencing an infamous practice involving Jimmy Butler:

That helped set the stage for Wednesday night.

Ejections are not likely to be the only discipline to come from the fisticuffs, though. Both Towns and Embiid will be subject to fines and suspensions as the NBA reviews the situation.

Losing their respective centers for any amount of time could be a momentum-killer for the Timberwolves (3-0) and Sixers (3-0), both of whom entered the night among the league's three remaining unbeaten teams. The San Antonio Spurs (3-0) are the only other team to begin Wednesday's action without a loss.

Philadelphia has shown in previous years that it can withstand Embiid's absence, as the 2014 No. 3 overall pick has averaged just 52.7 games over his first three years on the court. The Sixers are now in an even better position to survive any potential absence following the offseason acquisition of five-time All-Star Al Horford.

Minnesota, meanwhile, will have to find a way to stay afloat without its best player. Towns entered Wednesday averaging 32.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks.