Pascal Siakam hit Joel Embiid with a dirty play late in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Siakam was driving on Embiid with his Raptors down 12 with 10 minutes left in the game. He lost the ball and fell to the court. As Embiid pursued the ball, Siakam lifted his leg to trip the Sixers big man. Embiid went tumbling to the ground, and the referees tried to keep the two teams away from each other.
The officials reviewed the play and assessed Siakam a flagrant 1 foul due to unnecessary but not excessive contact.
Embiid got two free throws and made both to extend Philly’s lead. The Sixers got the ball, too, and Jimmy Butler scored to put Philly up by 16, 98-82. Siakam’s actions cost Toronto four points.
There did not seem to be any hard feelings between Embiid and Siakam, because Embiid later gave Siakam a tap to the chest, indicating all was well.
The sequence was the second dirty play of the game as Ben Simmons hit Kyle Lowry in the groin area in the second quarter.
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