James Harden’s ejection from playoff Game 3 the “WORST in 22 years”, claims ESPN analyst
James Harden Ejected for Flagrant 2 Foul: Controversial Call Overshadows Sixers Game 3 Victory Over Nets
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James Harden of Sixers dribbles vs. O'Neale of Nets in Game 3 playoffs in Brooklyn's Barclays Center
Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Tim Legler has expressed his disbelief over the decision to eject James Harden during Game 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets. Legler called it “one of the worst ejections” he had seen in his 22 years covering the league, adding that the play in question was “unintentional.”
Harden was ejected from the game after hitting Royce O’Neale below the belt during a drive to the basket, resulting in a flagrant 2 foul. The referees initially called a charge but upgraded the call after reviewing the play.
“I thought this was one of the worst ejections I think I’ve seen in 22 years doing this and covering the league since I’ve been out of league and when I was in the league 10 years as a player I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like this it’s so obvious when you watch that it’s unintentional.“
Legler believes that every basketball player watching the play would know that it was unintentional. He argues that when a player has the ball in one hand and is going to use their off-hand to create a little bit of space or generate momentum, their opposite arm will make contact with a defender who is inside their airspace. In Legler’s opinion, that’s precisely what happened in this case, and the ejection was unjustified.
Related: “Disgraceful” – NBA Twitter SLAMS James Harden for ELBOWING Royce O’Neale and poor performances
James Harden defends himself after ejection
Harden, who had never been ejected from a game before, argued that he did not hit O’Neale in the private area and that the contact was a natural basketball reaction to being draped on defensively. He also stated that the foul did not warrant a Flagrant 2 call, calling it “unacceptable.”
The Sixers suffered a significant setback when Harden was ejected during the game, as he had been their most productive player up to that point with 21 points on 8 of 15 from the field. Despite this, the team managed to win the game 102-97. Sixers have a 3-0 lead in the series.
Here is what he had to say: “Unacceptable flagrant 2. The first time I’ve been ejected. I’m not labeled as a dirty player. I didn’t hit him in the private area. Somebody draped on you like that defensively, it’s just a natural basketball reaction. I didn’t hit him hard enough for him to fall down like that. For a flagrant 2, it’s unacceptable. This is a playoff game.”
“I didn’t even think it was a foul on me,” Harden said. “Somebody draped on me, natural reaction is just use your off-arm and get him off a little bit, and that was it. It wasn’t no wind up, elbow, none of that. I didn’t hit him in the private area, none of that. That can’t happen; that can’t happen.”
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Vivek Yadav
(624 Articles Published)