Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid kicked Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton in the groin three minutes into Game 3 of their best-of-seven first round playoff series. Claxton was fouled by Embiid, taunted the presumptive MVP and walked over Embiid, who was on the floor, and the Cameroonian big man decided kicking Claxton was the appropriate response.
Claxton was assessed a technical foul for the taunt and Embiid received a flagrant foul penalty one, and remained in the game.
How Does This Make Sense?
If you’re an NBA fan this might seem strange to you, given we are 48 hours removed from Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green stomping on the chest of Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis in their playoff series. Green was given a flagrant foul penalty two, ejected from the game, and suspended for Game 3.
What is up with all the inconsistency by the officials these playoffs?
Later in the 76ers vs. Nets game, Sixers guard James Harden was given a flagrant foul penalty two for pushing off (something he does all the time and it’s never called) and the crew chief, Tony Brothers, believed it was excessive because Harden appeared to hit Nets defender Royce O’Neale in the groin.
Later in that same game, because he was assessed a technical earlier for taunting, Claxton was ejected for a second taunt.
What Constitutes A Flagrant Foul?
Following the game Brothers was asked why the flagrant penalty one for Embiid, and he said because the contact was excessive and the kick was to the leg. When asked why Harden was assessed a flagrant penalty two, Brothers said because O’Neale was hit in the groin the contact rose to excessive and warranted an ejection.
For those of you keeping score. A deliberate, intended, direct kick to the groin was not to the groin, but was excessive and hit the leg. An unclear push off to the midsection which every offensive player does, was excessive because it was to the groin and warranted ejection.
Harden was not pleased postgame, despite the 76ers win and a commanding 3-0 series lead.
“Unacceptable,” the 76ers point guard said. “Like unacceptable flagrant 2. The first time I’ve been ejected. I’m not labeled as a dirty player. I didn’t hit him in a private area. Somebody is draped on you like that defensively, it’s just a natural basketball reaction.
“But for a Flagrant 2 is unacceptable. You’ve seen around the league, things that are much more worse than what that play was. Honestly, I don’t even think it was a foul on me. But that’s unacceptable. That can’t happen.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has an issue brewing and these are just the egregious errors involving ejections. Foul calls have been inconsistent all year, and it has continued this postseason.
The NBA officials are the best in the world and get it right more often than not. But they’ve been shaky at best this year and with the stakes involved in the postseason, players are going to let their frustrations known.
Toronto Raptors guard Fred Van Vleet was so upset with the officiating in the regular season he dedicated his entire postgame press conference to calling out an official and knew the fine was coming and didn’t care. His teammate Scottie Barnes questioned the integrity of an official.
No doubt the league office and the referees have been on calls and reviewing film of all the playoff games and missed calls, etc. We might see some fouls rescinded and/or upgraded. We may also see an official get downgraded.
This is a sensitive issue for the league, given the Tim Donaghy situation. Silver cannot have the integrity of the game questioned.
