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Michael C. Wright, ESPN writer
PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers rallied to beat the Spurs 111-106 despite a chaotic first half that included the ejection of Joel Embiid after committing two quick technical fouls for arguing a charging penalty, and another ejection for his teammate. team Andre Drummond which was later terminated in a strange scene on Monday night.
Driving to the basket in transition as San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama attempted to defend, Embiid collided with the 20-year-old French phenom, knocking him to the ground. Embiid was called for a charging foul with 2:59 left in the first half.
Embiid immediately stood up and vehemently argued the call, drawing a technical foul from referee Jenna Schroeder as the snap headed toward the Philadelphia bench.
Once near the bench area, a furious Embiid charged towards the referees and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, coach Nick Nurse and several assistants while Schroeder committed another technical foul, leading to the second ejection of Embiid’s career. Embiid.
Embiid approached Schroeder during the initial technical foul, but it was unclear from replays whether he made contact with the referee. After the game, crew chief Curtis Blair told a pool reporter that there was “incidental contact with both” during the sequence, but added, “There was nothing to warrant any additional punishment.”
The nurse said she never received an explanation for Embiid’s ejection.
“I was never able to communicate with the referee who called it,” Nurse said. “So, I asked the other guys and they told me to ask her, and I never got the chance. I just assumed it was [for] arguing or whatever.”
Blair said Embiid was ejected for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.
Wearing a mask while playing in just his second game since suffering a sinus fracture, Embiid scored nine points and three rebounds in 14 minutes, going 2 for 8. He entered the game averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
It was Schroeder’s second ejection of the quarter, although the first was overturned in a strange sequence. Drummond, the 76ers’ reserve center, was charged with a technical foul with 8:13 left in the first half after pushing Wembanyama to the ground as the two fought under the basket. Seconds later, Drummond appeared to push Wembanyama down again.
Initially, Drummond was called for his second technical foul and ejected. However, after review of the video, officials overturned the expulsion. Wembanyama was then charged with a technical foul for falling. Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey made the free throw, only for the referees to overturn the “unsportsmanlike failure” technique, remove the point from the 76ers’ total, and restart the game.
“It was all really strange,” the nurse said.
According to the group’s report, it was determined that Drummond stepped on Wembanyama’s foot and the contact was considered incidental.
Drummond, who had already left for the locker room, was seen on the broadcast putting on his jersey as he walked through the tunnel toward the field.
“He just stepped on my foot and I fell,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t expect the foul to be called. I just fell.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who is in charge while Gregg Popovich recovers from a stroke, agreed.
“I don’t think it was a foul for them, and I don’t think it was a failure. [on Wembanyama]” he said. “That’s how I saw it up until that point.”
Those incidents led to Philadelphia fans relentlessly booing Wembanyama every time he touched the ball. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and eight blocks. But Maxey scored 32 points and made two crucial plays in the final minute to help the 76ers complete the comeback.
Embiid, playing in only his eighth game, returned to the court after the victory and smiled as he celebrated with his teammates.
Embiid did not speak about the incident afterward. According to a team official, Embiid left the arena when reporters were in the locker room to be available to the media after the game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
