Sixers survive Joel Embiid injury, James Harden ejection to capture commanding 3-0 series lead

NEW YORK — What a game?

What we saw was tackle hoops, intimidation ball, and trash-talking 101 combined at the Barclays Center on Thursday. Over time, folks will remember it as a night when the 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 102-97, in Game 3 of their first-round series.

But in the immediate aftermath, what stands out are the ejections of Sixers point guard James Harden and Nets center Nic Claxton, and a rough night for Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was called for a flagrant foul 1 and had an overall subpar game.

In the process, the Sixers nearly blew a golden opportunity to take a commanding 3-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

» READ MORE: Charles Barkley, Shaq believe Joel Embiid should’ve been ejected from Sixers-Nets Game 3

But thanks to Tyrese Maxey and a late block by Embiid, folks left the arena wondering: Are the Sixers closing in on their first playoff series sweep in 32 years? Or will the Brooklyn Nets somehow find a way to extend the series?

We’ll find out at 1 p.m. Saturday in Game 4.

Maxey scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to give the Sixers a 99-96 with 44.7 seconds left. Maxey scored his first points of the second half at 3 minutes, 8 seconds, and then he went on a run.

“Down 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 kind of dictate where the ball goes. So I was trying to get it to Joel. If I couldn’t get it to Joel, it’s time to get in the paint and make a play for somebody else or myself.”

Then with the Sixers up 99-97, Embiid blocked Spencer Dinwiddie’s layup with 8.8 seconds left. P.J. Tucker grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Tucker split a pair of foul shots with 8.0 seconds left. A Brooklyn blunder led to De’Anthony Melton’s dunk with 5.4 seconds left, giving the Sixers their five-point margin of victory.

Maxey finished with a team-high 25 points. Embiid had 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting along with 10 rebounds and two blocks. Harden had 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists before he was ejected.

“For us to rally,” Maxey said, “even after everything with James situation … to rally back and win the game is big time.”

Harden received a flagrant foul 2 and walked back to the locker room after elbowing Nets swingman Royce O’Neale in the groin area with 13.6 seconds left in the third quarter. Harden was originally called for just an offensive foul, but the infraction was upgraded after the officials reviewed the play.

Soon after, Claxton was ejected for taunting Embiid after dunking on the 76ers center with 8:48 left. Claxton received his second technical foul for his actions, leading to his ejection.

“The game was mucky,” Doc Rivers said. “It really was. It was a hard game to officiate.”

Things got testy

The Sixers knew the Nets would be more physical and become agitators. Asked about his team’s rebounding discrepancy before the game, coach Jacque Vaughn didn’t mince words.

“You got to hit somebody,” Vaughn said of being more physical. “If you want to win, you’ll hit somebody.”

Well, the Nets went after Joel Embiid. It was obvious that their game plan was to mess with the Sixers best player. Their tactic appeared to work early on.

The Sixers avoided losing Embiid after things got heated between the Sixers center and Claxton.

Claxton dunked on Embiid 2:26 into the game. Claxton shoved an off-balance Embiid to the court on the play. Then he walked over and stood over the MVP frontrunner while appearing to say something. Embiid responded by kicking Claxton in the groin area.

But instead of being ejected, he received a flagrant foul 1 for the kick. Claxton received a technical foul for stepping over Embiid.

“The contact was deemed unnecessary and based on the point of contact to the leg, it didn’t rise to the level of excessive,” crew chief Tony Brothers said of giving Embiid a flagrant 1 foul instead of an ejection.

Brothers was if Embiid didn’t get a flagrant 2 because of where the contact was.

“The point of contact dictated that it was only unnecessary contact and not excessive, so yes.”

In other words, Embiid remained in the game for missing his target.

That led to Brothers explaining why Harden was given a flagrant 2 for elbowing O’Neale.

“Based on the point of contact directly to the groin,” he said, “it rose to the level of excessive and ejection.”

The Sixers went on to prevail and are looking to close out the series Saturday.

Second-round bound

No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, and only three series have gone to a seventh game after one team opened with a 3-0 lead.

The last time the Sixers swept an opponent was when they beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 3-0, in a best-of-five, first-round series in 1991. The last time they swept a best-of-seven series was when they prevailed 4-0 in he second round against the Bucks in 1985. The NBA’s first-round playoff series went to a best-of-seven format in 2003.

House sidelined

Danuel House Jr. was a late scratch with a non-COVID illness.

House played a total of five minutes in a reserve role 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 games in the regular season.