"You should flex on his face" - Draymond Green disapproves Nic Claxton's ejection after dunking on Joel Embiid
Game 3 between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers was full of drama and technical fouls, with Philadelphia winning 102-97 despite James Harden's ejection. Brooklyn center Nic Claxton was ejected as well after picking up two technical fouls on Thursday.
On his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," the Golden State Warriors forward talked about the events of the Nets-Sixers game. He was suspended for Game 3 in his Western Conference series for a flagrant foul in a similar situation to what occurred in Brooklyn on Thursday.
"That's not playoffs. That's not what we're paying to see."
—@Money23Green SOUNDS OFF on how the refs handled Harden, Embiid and Claxton https://t.co/LXXIoMcAcO
Draymond Green sounds off on Sixers-Nets ejections
Green went off in support of the players and criticized the referees:
"I am never in favor of players getting suspended or ejected from the game. That’s not playoff basketball. That is not what we are paying to see.”
Green has plenty of experience with ejections and technicals. The Warriors star said no one should have been thrown out of the game.
Green, of course, was just ejected from Game 2 of the Warriors' series against the Sacramento Kings. Green was subsequently suspended for Game 3. The Warriors won comfortably without Green 114-97 on Thursday and trail 2-1 in the series.
Many went to social media to question why Joel Embiid was not ejected in the same way Green was for his antics during Game 3. In the first quarter, Claxton stepped over Embiid after a foul at the rim, and Embiid responded with a kick, sending Claxton to the ground. The play was reviewed, and Claxton was given a technical foul. Embiid stayed in the game and was not issued any punishment.
NBA Head of Referee Training and Development Monty McCutchen broke down the controversial fouls by the Sixers in Game 3 vs. the Nets.
"Embiid's was to the back of the leg and Harden's was to the groin and there is the distinction." https://t.co/HEAcgPijU5
In the fourth quarter, Claxton finished a dunk with Embiid defending and then flexed in the Sixers center’s face. Claxton was issued a tech for showboating and was ejected because it was his second technical foul.
Earlier in the game, Harden was issued a flagrant-two foul and ejected for hitting Royce O’Neale in the groin while the Nets guard was closely defending him.
“That is the MVP of the NBA. If you dunk on him, you should flex in his face, because he is going to give you 40 and flex in yours,” said Green about the Claxton ejection.
Green is expected to return to the Warriors lineup for Game 4 in San Francisco on Sunday.