Joel Embiid got ejected. Tyrese Maxey saved the night. The Sixers won a wild, drama-filled game against the San Antonio Spurs in their last home contest of 2024.
Here's what I saw.
- The Sixers did an excellent job of making Victor Wembanyama put the ball on the floor early in the game. They preyed on his still-developing ball-handling skills, sliding over as he made his move to the basket to jar the ball loose and create opportunities in transition. Wembanyama's critics would point to his reliance on the three-point shot as a detractor. He's every bit of 7-foot-3. I'm skeptical of whether he's truly 235 pounds, which is the listing NBA.com gives for the Spurs rising star.
So, for the white beards out there who spit at the idea of a guy who is 7-foot-4 not getting his ass in the paint, I understand why Wembanyama feels content settling for the perimeter game. He's not strong enough to tango with a force like Embiid inside. Comparatively speaking, most other bigs in the NBA are physical forces inside, too. That will be the case for a few years as Wembanyama develops his body. So, a better use of a possession for him is to shoot from the outside.
That being said, Embiid was totally game to guard him in space, forcing the young big to put the ball on the deck and do things off the dribble. He wasn't comfortable, and it manifested in a strong offensive start for Philadelphia.
- Any chance the Sixers had of winning this game once Embiid was ejected rested solely on a team-wide response. They were game. Caleb Martin looked comfortable shooting the ball for the first time all season, lacing three triples on the night. His hands on defense were stellar, knocking a ball away in transition to blow up a would-be score at the rim. Guerschon Yabusele knocked down a barrage of threes and did a damn good job of keeping Wembanyama out of the paint late in the game. Kyle Lowry found the mark on a pair of triples, made some great passing reads out of live action and took a charge.
- Not only was it good to see the team respond to Embiid's ejection with heightened energy, but it was encouraging that that moment served as an inflection point in Maxey's night. He was rather pedestrian up until Embiid was kicked out. It lit a fire inside him that never died. He was lethal from beyond the arc and found his touch on speedy finishes at the cup. It was a defensive play late that sparked one final rally. Maxey missed a three and began to retreat on defense. He then noticed that the Spurs were not being cautious bringing the ball up the floor and sprinted into a passing lane for an interception. He took the ball all the way in for a dunk and the foul, giving the Sixers the lead. But, a missed free throw kept Philadelphia's advantage at just one point in the final 30 seconds. Maxey saved his best for last, burying a step-back three to ensure the victory for Philadelphia. Onions. Nails. Whatever you want to call it, the iciness mimicked the vintage heaters that made Maxey a star.
- Nick Nurse put Lowry and Reggie Jackson on the court at the same time in the first half. Lump of coal in the stocking. In fairness, the Sixers leaned into zone defense at that point and saw success with it.
- If you wanted drama, this game was the show to watch. Nothing on Hulu, Netflix, Peacock or HBO could give you what this game had in store. Surprise, surprise - it started with those in charge of maintaining the game's integrity.
We'll start with one possession in the second quarter. Andre Drummond was on in relief of Embiid. Wembanyama flopped three separate times on the possession, falling to the hardwood on very minimal contact from Drummond. The second instance earned him his first technical foul. The third instance earned him his second technical foul, and thus an ejection. All three were exceptional acting jobs by Wembanyama.
But, upon further review, Wembanyama was assessed a flopping violation and Drummond's ejection was nullified. That's right, he got to return to the game. But, the officials decided to re-clog the toilet a bit, finally settling on Drummond being cleared of all punishments and Wembanyama not being charged with any flopping. But, if there are two technicals to be erased and the sequence was three plays, that means that Wembanyama was cleared of any wrongdoing on the first instance. Wrong answer. That doesn't even things out.
Oh, but the drama was only just beginning. Embiid was whistled for an offensive foul a short while later, plowing into a moving Wembanyama to pick up his third foul. Embiid took issue with the call and made contact with official Jenna Schroeder as he voiced his displeasure with the call, resulting in Schroeder whistling him for a technical foul in addition to the offensive foul. Embiid was whistled for his second technical foul as he walked away from Schroeder, and then chaos ensued.
Embiid had to be held back by members of the team while Nurse challenged the call. The challenge was unsuccessful. But, the lost challenge was the least of their issues with Embiid suddenly disqualified.
It did not help the officials' optics that, when asked about the ejection after the game, Nurse told reporters that he never received an explanation for what occurred. He claimed that the other officials in the crew told him to "Ask [Schroeder]" why she ruled what she did.
The pool report after the game did not offer Schroeder any life rafts, the postgame review revealing that the contact between Embiid and the official was "incidental in nature". "There was nothing that warranted any further punishment," the pool report read. The cause of the ejection was two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.
So, if the contact was incidental, why was Embiid ejected? Because the only explanation you're providing is implying that he said mean words to Schroeder.
- Schroeder remained a storyline for the remainder of the game. She called Paul George for a moving screen, inducing a re-enactment of this famous Jimmy Butler meme from Nurse:
Nick Nurse just re-enacted this meme on the PG moving screen call. pic.twitter.com/qSvboIpD76
She assessed Yabusele a technical foul for hanging on the rim as he finished a dunk in the second half. Finally, she missed a shove by Chris Paul on Caleb Martin on the same play that she called a reach-in on Martin literal milliseconds later.
It was a colossal disaster by this officiating crew, with Schroeder front and center in the whole mess. No sport can be called exactly by the book. The job of the officials is to manage the game to the best of their abilities within the framework of the rules. Mission failed.
- The Sixers played the majority of the second half essentially with one acting center. Drummond left the game with a left big toe contusion and did not return. KJ Martin left the game with left foot soreness and did not return, either.
- Yabusele is going to lose $2,000 over that technical foul. Outrageous.
The Sixers (10-17) will visit the Boston Celtics (22-7) on Christmas Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m., Eastern time. You can catch the game on ABC/ESPN.
