Jimmy Butler and Jared Dudley were ejected from the Nets-Sixers game Saturday after a brawl between both teams spilled into the courtside seats.
The melee was kicked off after Joel Embiid fouled Jarrett Allen hard as the latter was driving toward the basket. Allen hit the hardwood and Jared Dudley ran across the court to get in Embiid's face. He slammed into the back of Embiid, drawing the attention of Jimmy Butler. Butler shoved Dudley from behind and then every player within grappling distance fell into a pile, tumbling into the seats beneath the basket. Coaches, refs, and cooler-headed Nets pulled players apart and the refs conferred to figure the fight out. Butler and Dudley were ejected for their part, while Embiid was assessed a Flagrant 1 for the swat that led to the fight.
The series has been physical throughout with Embiid catching flak for throwing an elbow in Jarrett Allen's face in Game 2. Embiid laughed about the foul in a post-game interview, which didn't sit right with Allen's Nets teammates.
"I felt a certain type of way about it. Just because you’re laughing when somebody could’ve gotten really, really hurt," Dudley explained. "That’s been Embiid’s personality. But just because it’s your personality doesn’t mean it’s right."
Embiid has since apologized, but it's clear that there's no love lost between the Sixers and Nets.
