The situation could have been much worse, though, as Joel Embiid was lucky to avoid an ejection in the third quarter.
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At the halfway mark of that period, Giannis Antetokounmpo caught the ball in transition and attempted to Eurostep around Embiid. As Antetokounmpo made his move, Embiid threw a forearm at Antetokounmpo’s stomach.
The officiating crew reviewed the play and determined that Embiid had committed a flagrant 1 foul on Antetokounmpo, but it wasn’t upgraded to a flagrant 2 foul, which would have resulted in an automatic ejection.
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Here is the difference between a flagrant 1 and flagrant 2, according to the NBA rulebook:
Flagrant 1: If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpreted to be unnecessary Flagrant 2: If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpreted to be unnecessary and excessive
Embiid’s foul was considered unnecessary but not excessive. He was assessed a personal foul, and the Bucks were awarded two free throws and the ball. Antetokounmpo missed both free throws.
“Embiid commits the foul, and in doing so he delivers a blow with his shoulder and elbow,” crew chief John Goble told The Athletic’s Rich Hofmann. “This contact was deemed to be unnecessary but not excessive.”
Embiid went on to lead Philadelphia to a 110-102 victory, totaling 32 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks. Antetokounmpo finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, but he hit just four of this 15 free throw attempts.
