Philadelphia 76ers forward Joel Embiid faced an unfortunate situation during Monday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, getting ejected in the first half after accumulating two technical fouls. The incident occurred with just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter, when referee Jenna Schroeder made the decision to eject Embiid following a dispute.
Embiid’s first technical stemmed from arguing with Schroeder, and shortly thereafter, he received a second technical — leading to his ejection. Despite being close to the referee, replay footage did not conclusively show whether he made contact. Following the ejection, an emotional Embiid confronted the officials but was quickly restrained by his teammate Kyle Lowry, head coach Nick Nurse, and multiple coaching staff members.
This season has been particularly challenging for Embiid, who was participating in only his eighth game, having missed significant time due to left knee soreness, a suspension for a locker room altercation, and a sinus fracture suffered on December 10. His matchup with Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama was eagerly anticipated, especially considering Embiid’s record-setting 70-point performance against the Spurs last January.
In this latest encounter, Embiid, who wore a mask due to his recent injury, recorded nine points and three rebounds in 14 minutes of play, shooting just 2 for 8 from the field. His early aggressiveness against Wembanyama was evident, yet he appeared to struggle for most of his time on the court. Prior to his ejection, he was also called for an offensive foul, which led to further conflict with the officials.
Interestingly, this game also saw an ejection for Andre Drummond, which was later rescinded after a video review. The officials had initially assessed Wembanyama with a technical for flopping, but that decision was also reversed, demonstrating the complexity and intensity of the game’s officiating.
Despite the setbacks, Embiid’s presence on the court is significant. Averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists prior to the game, he plays a crucial role in the 76ers’ lineup, which struggles when he is absent. There’s hope that as Embiid continues to recover and play, he will regain his form and impact the team’s success positively as the season progresses.