NEW YORK — Game 3 on Thursday between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers, the 76ers won 102-97, was eventful for a number of reasons. For starters, it was one of those games that was chippy from the start as Nets center Nic Claxton and 76ers superstar big man Joel Embiid had to be separated just a few minutes into the contest.
Claxton received an alley-oop from Mikal Bridges and Claxton was able to finish the lob pass with a nice dunk over Embiid. Over the course of the play, Embiid fell to the ground and Claxton took that opportunity to step over Embiid, most likely in an effort to assert his dominance early on. Embiid took exception to that action and kicked Claxton to create some space which led to both players having to be separated. Embiid was assessed a flagrant foul 1 upon review while Claxton was given a technical foul for the altercation.
Later in the game, with 13 seconds left in the third quarter, James Harden was on the receiving end of a flagrant foul 2 after elbowing Royce O’Neale in the groin area. Then, with 8:48 left in the fourth quarter, Claxton was assessed his second technical foul after staring Embiid down after a dunk. To put it best, the officiating was questioned by everyone involved in the game.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career before. For a guy (Embiid) to intentionally kick someone (Claxton) in an area that none of us want to be kicked at or towards and for him to continue to play. I’ve never seen that before. In a game and a guy continues to be able to play. Intentional.”
“Probably just because of the Draymond precedent, very surprised. But what am I gonna do?”
“I conversed after the first tech; no hanging on the rim, no nothing extra to get himself kicked out just because I knew and felt the environment that the game was heading towards. But it’s an opportunity for him to grow up which is great.”
“For me to get my first ejection on a play like that where there’s no hostile act, that’s unacceptable.”
“I gotta keep my emotions in check; my team, they need me out there. So that’s a part of my growth, just keeping my cool in moments like that when Im playing well & my emotions are really high. I look myself in the mirror and just (have to) be smarter.”
“He’s the MVP. I thought he should’ve been kicked out. Like I…
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