Watch: 76ers star Joel Embiid gets ejected vs. Spurs

With three minutes to go in the second quarter, Embiid was whistled for his third foul for charging into San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama. The Sixers center looked furious, complaining emphatically to the referee, who eventually gave him a technical. Then, upon getting T'd up, Embiid got even angrier, drawing a second technical and a disqualification.

The situation escalated quickly, with Philadelphia coaches and teammates forced to get between Embiid and the officials. It's not clear whether Embiid got his second technical for arguing, or if he was perceived as throwing a frustrated "air punch," which results in an automatic technical.

Embiid wasn't the only 76ers center who was ejected Monday. In a bizarre sequence earlier in the quarter, Andre Drummond got a technical foul for pushing Wembanyama on an inbounds pass. After Chris Paul shot the technical free throw, Drummond got called for a second technical, also for pushing Wembanyama.

Then the refs ruled that Wembanyama flopped, gave him a technical, and un-ejected Drummond.

After Tyrese Maxey sank the technical free throw, the officials decided Wembanyama had tripped, so they rescinded the flopping tech, wiped Maxey's point off the board, and kept going like nothing had happened.

There was no such reprieve for his teammate. Embiid finished his night with nine points and three rebounds — and likely a healthy fine from the NBA.