James Harden Ejected After Hitting Nets' Royce O'Neale In The N*ts

This game is box office.

The heat's turning up in Thursday night's Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. In an already eventful game, Sixers guard James Harden was ejected before the fourth quarter after taking a shot at Royce O'Neale's groin.

READ: JOEL EMBIID KICKS NETS BIG MAN NIC CLAXTON AFTER GETTING PUNISHED AT THE RIM

Harden was ejected after hitting the Nets forward — a surprising verdict by the refs.

WATCH:

Say what you want about the NBA Playoffs' first round but this game's been getting better by the quarter.

Embiid and Nic Claxton's brawl in the first quarter; Brooklyn's scoring spree in the third; and now a Harden-less Philly team struggling to keep up with a hobbled Embiid. Surely it couldn't get better ...

But it did. Moments after Harden's ejection, the Nets lost Claxton after he taunted Embiid on another sweet dunk. It was Claxton's second technical of the evening.

The Brooklyn Nets went nuclear in the third quarter of Thursday night's Game 3. Mikal Bridges and crew nearly doubled the Sixers' scoring, 35-18, after a slow first half.

Philly survived the slugfest: defeating the Nets, 102-97, to go up 3-0 in the series.

Will Adam Silver suspend James Harden for the ball-busting move? Did he deserve the Tech?

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Alejandro Avila lives in Southern California and previously covered news for the LA Football Network. Jeopardy expert and grumpy sports fan. Known for having watched every movie and constant craving for dessert. @alejandroaveela (on X)