NBA not to rescind 76ers' Embiid

A flagrant foul called on Thursday night on Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will not be rescinded, ESPN reported Friday, citing league sources. Late in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 112-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Embiid smacked center Marc Gasol in the face with his hand as they were battling for a rebound. Embiid, who finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, was called for a flagrant foul, his third point of this year's playoffs.

A player will be punished with an automatic one-game suspension after reaching four flagrant-foul points. Each subsequent flagrant point will earn the player an additional one-game suspension. "I mean it's annoying, it's stupid," Embiid said after the game. "I feel like the one in Brooklyn should be rescinded and tonight, it's just basketball. I didn't mean to do it. I just happened to hit him in the face, I guess, and didn't mean to do it.

"It just happened. A lot of things like that happen. I got hit in the face in the first half by [Toronto's] Pascal but kind of like the same situation that wasn't a flagrant. I saw the video of it, I mean it doesn't look that bad. ... It's tough. I guess I get one more and I'm gone for one game. So I got to look out for it, but that's definitely, this one and in the one in Brooklyn that I feel like I didn't deserve." During Philadelphia's first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid received two flagrant 1 fouls, elbowing center Jarrett Allen in Game 2, then in Game 4 fouling Allen, who was attempting a layup.

That led to a fight on the court, and the Sixers' Jimmy Butler and Nets' Jared Dudley were ejected. The Sixers and Raptors meet in the deciding Game 7 on Sunday in Toronto. Another flagrant foul for Embiid would mean (if Philadelphia wins) getting suspended for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in Milwaukee or (if Philadelphia loses) sitting out the first game he plays in the 2019-20 regular season.

(With inputs from agencies.)