Joel Embiid Kicks Nets Big Man Nic Claxton After Getting Punished At The Rim

UPDATE: Nic Claxton received his second Technical of the night, with 8:48 left in the fourth, for being too mean to Joel Embiid (taunting). Claxton was ejected.

Nets center Nic Claxton went full A.I. on MVP candidate Joel Embiid.

Claxton hit Embiid with the infamous Allen Iverson-Tye Lu step-over after Claxton disrespected him with a sweet score on a sky-high lob over Embiid.

Embiid didn't kindly take the disrespect. The Sixers center retaliated by kicking his leg out at Claxton as the Nets player tried stepping over — instantly bringing back memories of Draymond Green's stomp on Domantas Sabonis from Monday.

This also occurred in the opening minutes of the game; it's gonna be a slugfest tonight.

WATCH:

Sixers fans were on pins and needles as the officials mulled their decision on Embiid's kick.

After all, Draymond Green was ejected from his game against the Kings and eventually suspended for Wednesday night's Game 3.

In the end, Embiid was assigned a Flagrant 1 while Claxton received a Technical 1 for his troll job on Embiid.

Embiid and Claxton have been dueling from the jump in Game 3. Stuck in a must-win situation, down 0-2 in the series, the Nets are hitting Philly with everything they've got.

Claxton had seven quick points in the first quarter. His greatest impact, inadvertent or not, was shoving Embiid in the lower back minutes after the dust-up, seemingly injuring Embiid. He was slow to get up after the push and went to the locker room before the end of the period.

"I'm hoping will be okay," Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said after the quarter. Embiid was 2-of-2, totaling five points before exiting.

Embiid returned to the game with eight minutes left in the second quarter.

Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers sizing up against Nets' Nic Claxton (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)