NEW YORK – What game?
We saw tackle hoops, intimidation ball and trash-talking 101 combined at the Barclays Center on Thursday. In time, people will remember it as a night when the 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 102-97 in Game 3 of their first-round series.
But what’s noticeable immediately afterward are ejections from Sixers point guard James Harden and Nets center Nic Claxton, and a rough night for Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was called out for a flagrant foul 1 and had an overall underplayed game.
In the process, the Sixers nearly missed a golden opportunity to forge a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
» READ MORE: Charles Barkley, Shaq believe Joel Embiid should have been ejected from Sixers-Nets Game 3
But thanks to Tyrese Maxey and a late block from Embiid, people left the arena wondering: Are the Sixers getting closer to their first playoff series sweep in 32 years? Or will the Brooklyn Nets somehow find a way to extend the streak?
We’ll find out in Game 4 on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Maxey scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to give the Sixers a 99-96 lead by 44.7 seconds. Maxey scored his first points of the second half at 3min 8sec and then he was off.
“On the stretch I knew because James was out I had the ball in my hands,” Maxey said. “Once you have the ball in your hands, you sort of dictate where the ball goes. So I tried to get it to Joel. If I couldn’t get it to Joel, it’s time to get on the paint and make a piece for someone else or myself.
Then with the Sixers, 99-97, Embiid Spencer blocked Dinwiddie’s layup by 8.8 seconds. PJ Tucker grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Tucker shared a pair of foul shots with 8.0 seconds left. A Brooklyn error resulted in De’Anthony Melton’s dunk with 5.4 seconds remaining, giving the Sixers their five-point lead to victory.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey lands in the basket in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Thursday, April 20, 2023 in New York. … Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Maxey finished with a team high of 25 points. Embiid had 14 points in 5-for-13 shooting along with 10 rebounds and two blocks. Harden had 21 points, five rebounds and four assists before being ejected.
“For us to rally,” Maxey said, “even after everything with James’ situation … it’s a big time to rally and win the game.”
Harden received a flagrant foul 2 and headed back to the locker room after elbowing Nets swingman Royce O’Neale in the groin in the third quarter with 13.6 seconds left. Harden was originally called out for a shared offensive foul, but the offense was rectified after officials reviewed the game.
Soon after, Claxton was ejected for taunting Embiid after dipping left on the Sixers center at 8:48. Claxton received his second technical foul for his actions, resulting in his ejection.
“The game was muddy,” said Sixers coach Doc Rivers. “It really was. It was a tough game to direct.”
Things got irritated
The Sixers knew the Nets would get more physical and become agitators. When asked about his team’s rebound discrepancy before the game, coach Jacque Vaughn didn’t mince his words.
“You have to hit someone,” Vaughn said when he was more physical. “If you want to win, you will hit someone.”
Well, the Nets were after Joel Embiid. It was obvious their game plan was to take on the best player in the Sixers. Their tactic seemed to work early on.
The Sixers avoided losing Embiid after things heated up between him and Claxton.
Claxton dipped into play at Embiid 2:26. Claxton shoved an off-balance Embiid onto the field. He then walked over and stood over the MVP leader while seemingly saying something. Embiid responded by kicking Claxton in the groin.
But instead of ejecting Embiid, he received a Flagrant 1 foul for the kick. Claxton received a technical foul for stepping over Embiid.
“The contact was deemed unnecessary and given the point of contact with the leg, it was not excessive,” said crew chief Tony Brothers, who penalized Embiid with a flagrant 1 foul rather than an ejection.
Brothers were asked if Embiid didn’t get a Flagrant 2 because of the contact.
“The point of contact dictated it was just unnecessary contact and not excessive contact, so yes,” he said.
In other words, Embiid stayed in the game because he missed his target.
This led to Brothers explaining why Harden received a Flagrant 2 for elbowing O’Neale.
“Because of the direct contact with the groin,” he said, “it rises to the level of excess and sputum.”
» READ MORE: Forget must-win. The Sixers are in a must-sweep situation as Celtics emerge in Round 2.
Sixers center Joel Embiid kicks Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton in the first quarter in Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on Thursday, April 20, 2023 in New York.. … Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
But that was far from Embiid’s only incident.
He later had to be separated from another Nets Post player in the first quarter after a break in action. He was substituted out of the game at 1:39 in the quarters and went straight to the dressing room. Embiid also appeared to twist his ankle in the second quarter before injuring his knee when he “got tangled under the basket with Cam Johnson after the break.
“You could see what they were doing throughout the game,” Embiid said. “I’m just trying to get excited. I’m too valuable; especially after the first [play]I just realized I’m too valuable to get involved in something like this.
“This is the second time [someone] hit me in the back [and] this is not checked. My back, my knee, hitting me every time…which is fine. It works for her. But you know, I just have to keep going.”
Second round tied
No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, and only three series went to a seventh game after a team opened with a 3-0 lead.
The last time the Sixers defeated an opponent was when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 3-0 in a first-round best-of-five series in 1991. The last time they defeated a best-of-seven series was in the second round against the Bucks in 1985. The NBA’s first-round playoff series transitioned to a best-of-seven format in 2003 .
house sidelined
Daniel House Jr. was a late scratcher with a non-COVID illness.
House played in a reserve role for a total of five minutes in the first two games of the first round playoff series. He had two rebounds and missed his lone shot attempt. That came after the swingman averaged 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 48 regular-season games.
» READ MORE: Tobias Harris denies claims he was more aggressive in Sixers-Nets: ‘I’ve always been locked up’