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Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, right, argues with referee Jenna Schroeder, left, as Kyle Lowry intervenes during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was ejected in the first half of Monday night’s 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs after drawing two technical fouls.
Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2:59 left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical for arguing with Schroeder, and received another technical — and ejection — from Schroeder before any more game time elapsed. Embiid got close to Schroeder and made incidental contact, crew chief Curtis Blair told a pool reporter after the game. Blair said that Embiid was tossed for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.
Embiid did not address the incident afterward. According to a team official, Embiid left the arena when reporters were in the locker room for postgame media availability.
An enraged Embiid charged toward the officials after the ejection and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, coach Nick Nurse and several assistants.
It has been a trying season for Embiid. He was playing in just his eighth game, missing many due to left knee soreness, three after a suspension for an altercation with a reporter in the locker room and another following a sinus fracture sustained on Dec. 10. Monday’s game marked just the fifth time Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia’s “Big Three,” were in the starting lineup together. Maxey scored 32 points and made two crucial plays in the final minute fuel Philadelphia’s win.
Wearing a mask while playing in just his second game since suffering the sinus fracture, Embiid had nine points and three rebounds in 14:22, shooting 2 for 8. This matchup against Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was a far cry from the first matchup between the 7-footers. Last Jan. 22, Embiid set a Sixers franchise record with 70 points in a 133-123 victory over the Spurs in Philadelphia.
In that game, Embiid made 24 of 41 field goals and 21 of 23 free throws, and added 18 rebounds and five assists. Wembanyama scored 33 points in the first matchup.
On Monday, Embiid went right at Wembanyama in the early going, showing the same aggressiveness as in their initial meeting. However, the Sixers’ star looked rusty for most of his abbreviated stay. Just before the ejection, Embiid was whistled for an offensive foul, leading to his altercation with Schroeder.
It was the second ejection of the quarter by Schroeder, although the first was rescinded.
With 8:13 left in the period, Schroeder ejected Philadelphia’s Andre Drummond for an apparent foul on Wembanyama. After video review, however, the officials rescinded the ejection. Then, they initially assessed Wembanyama with a technical foul for flopping. Maxey shot and made a free throw and the point went on the scoreboard, only for the officials to rescind the technical, remove the point and restart the game.
“The whole thing was really strange,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
Blair said that the review showed that Drummond stepped on Wembanyama’s foot and that it was deemed incidental contact. The Spurs’ 7-footer also didn’t think a foul should’ve been called.
“Just stepped on my foot and I fell,” said Wembanyama, who had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight blocks. “That’s it. I just got tripped. I didn’t mean to fall. I didn’t expect the foul to be called. I just fell.”
Embiid, a two-time NBA scoring champ, entered averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Philadelphia was 2-5 in the seven contests in which he played.