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Joel Embiid caused a stir during Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets when he kicked Nets center, Nicolas Claxton, on the ground after Claxton drew an and-1 on Embiid. Embiid was called for a flagrant-1 for his actions
During his postgame press conference, Embiid gave his thoughts on the matter after the Sixers took a 3-0 lead.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember,” Embiid said with a facetious smile on his face. “Like I said, we’re up 3-0. We move on, it takes me a lot to process a game after that type of fight. So I gotta go watch the tape, see what we can do better or what I can do better. I’m just happy to get the win.”
Claxton was hit with a technical foul for his actions in the matter, then was later called for another technical for taunting Embiid in the fourth quarter, ejecting him from the game.
Embiid confirmed that he remembered when Claxton received his second technical foul.
Nicolas Claxton Says Joel Embiid Should Have Been Ejected
During his postgame press conference, Claxton singled out Embiid as the league’s Most Valuable Player but believed that he should have been ejected for kicking him.
“He’s the MVP,” Claxton told reporters, per YESNetwork’s YouTube channel. “I thought he should have been kicked out, but like I said, it’s not my job to referee. Maybe I should have sold it more instead of just clapping on the ground. Like I was really, really hurt, but just gotta move on.”
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn also believed Embiid should have been thrown out of the game for kicking Claxton.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career before,” Vaughn told reporters after the game, per CBS Sports’ YouTube channel. “For a guy to intentionally kick someone 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 play – intentional.”
James Harden Sounds Off on Ejection
The Nets had a chance to beat the Sixers when James Harden was assessed a flagrant-2 for hitting Royce O’Neal in the groin in the fourth quarter – kicking Harden out of the game – but couldn’t pull it off.
During his postgame press conference, Harden couldn’t believe that a foul was even called on him, let alone get him ejected from the game itself
“I didn’t even think it was a foul on me,” Harden said, via Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice on Twitter. “It wasn’t like a wind-up elbow, none of that. I didn’t hit him in the private area, none of that. That just can’t happen. Can’t happen.”
The Sixers took a commanding 3-0 lead over the Nets anyway without Harden. Despite the outcry from Claxton and Vaughn, the NBA took no further action against Embiid nor Harden, for their actions, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Because the NBA won’t hand down any further punishment on either of them, both Embiid and Harden will be available for Game 4 against the Nets.
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