Just two days after Draymond Green was suspended for stomping on Domantas Sabonis, Joel Embiid sparked controversy with a kick of his own.
Just minutes into the 76ers’ Game 3 clash with the Nets at Barclays Center Thursday night, Embiid and Nic Claxton got into an altercation that left the home crowd up in arms.
Claxton threw down an alley-oop — from Mikal Bridges’ nifty pass — over Embiid, and Embiid fell to the ground in the process.
After landing, Claxton stared down Embiid and began to step over him a la Allen Iverson over Tyron Lue.
Embiid seemingly took offense.
As Claxton was stepping over him, Embiid kicked out with his left leg at Claxton’s midsection.
He didn’t land a clean shot, but it knocked Claxton to the ground and a scuffle between the two teams quickly followed.
After review, Embiid received a flagrant 1 foul for the kick, while Claxton received a technical for taunting Embiid.
James Harden missed the 76ers’ free throw for the technical foul, and Clacton nailed the Nets’ free throw for the flagrant foul.
That left the Nets leading 7-4 with nine-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The 76ers entered the game up 2-0 in the series.
Near the end of the first quarter, Embiid headed to the locker room, though the reason for his exit wasn’t clear and he returned in the second quarter.
Though it was a similar act, Embiid did not receive the same punishment Green got.
“It is what it is,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said during an on-court interview following the first quarter. “That’s what teams do now. Then when you respond, you get suspended, so we have to be very careful.”
During the Warriors’ Game 2 loss to the Kings Monday night, Green stomped on Sabonis’ chest after the latter grabbed Greens’ ankle while lying on the court following a Warriors possession.
Green, after riling up and engaging with opposing Kings fans, subsequently received a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected for the game.
Late Tuesday night, Green was suspended for one game, meaning he will miss Game 3 Thursday night.
Unlike Green, Embiid does not have a history of dirty or unsportsmanlike plays, which NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars cited as one of the main reasons Green received a suspension.
Embiid got off to a slow start in Thursday night’s game, finishing the first quarter with just two points on 1-for-3 shooting from the field while missing both of his first two 3-pointers.
Claxton, on the other hand, started the game strongly with the Nets fighting to avoid an 0-3 hole, nailing his first three field goals, including the dunk over Embiid.
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