Things got chippy early in Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
Less than three minutes into the matchup at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Joel Embiid and Nic Claxton got involved in a dust-up that led to a flagrant one foul for Embiid.
Claxton made an alley-oop dunk over Embiid with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter to put the Nets up 6-4. After the dunk, Claxton stared down Embiid on the hardwood and stepped over him. Embiid responded by kicking Claxton near the groin area.
After a lengthy review, referees issued Embiid a flagrant foul one for the kick. A flagrant foul two would have earned the MVP front-runner an automatic ejection.
Claxton was given a technical foul.
The two continued to go at it. Claxton was called for a foul for pushing Embiid in the back under the basket, resulting in Embiid grabbing his lower back on the floor. Embiid headed back to the locker room near the end of the first quarter. It was confirmed on the TNT broadcast that Embiid was receiving treatment on his back. He did return to the game about midway through the second quarter.
This game is a must-win for the Nets, who dropped the first two games in Philadelphia.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 76ers’ Joel Embiid gets foul for kicking opponent; goes to locker room
