Joel Embiid ejection: 76ers star tossed amid tirade after Andre Drummond 'unejected' following Victor Wembanyama flop

David Suggs

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Joel Embiid ejection: 76ers star tossed amid tirade after Andre Drummond 'unejected' following Victor Wembanyama flop image

The Spurs' duel with the 76ers was billed as a matchup between star bigs, with San Antonio supernova Victor Wembanyama set to lock horns with Philadelphia's MVP, Joel Embiid.

That matchup lasted all of two quarters; Embiid was ejected after picking up two technical fouls, both of which came when he was called for an offensive foul while driving at the 20-year-old phenom.

Enter Andre Drummond, the veteran center known for his rebounding prowess. Drummond was tasked with locking up Wembanyama, a tall order given the lanky unicorn's recent performances.

If not for a bit of replay review, Nurse's squad might've been left without any seven-footers to stand across from Wembanyama. Prior to Embiid's ejection, Drummond appeared destined to hit the showers first, at least until cooler heads — and an easy replay review — prevailed.

Here's what you need to know.

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Joel Embiid ejection video

Embiid was tossed with 2:59 left in the second quarter. The Philly star attempted to get to the cup, driving into Wembanyama while trying to get to his left hand.

Wemby fell theatrically as Embiid dug into his chest and the ball leaped from his grasp. Despite the apparent turnover, Embiid was whistled for an offensive foul, a call that prompted him to walk toward the referee for further clarification.

After attempting to have a brief conversation with the referee, Embiid launched into a tirade of sorts, removing his facemask and firing off various profanities.

Embiid's teammates and coaches had to get in between him and the referee following the incident, which resulted in his second career ejection. As he left the floor, he appeared to slam his mask on the floor.

Importantly, the referee who ejected Embiid — and ostensibly whistled him for the offensive foul, too — was the same one who flagged Andre Drummond for his "ejection-worthy" offense earlier in the game.

MORE: Joel Embiid injury timeline

Andre Drummond ejection reversal, explained

Drummond looked to have had a few choice words for Wembanyama after the two got tangled up with 8:13 left in the second quarter.

Drummond appeared to call Wembanyama soft as the two prepared for a Spurs inbounds pass. The San Antonio standout proceeded to tumble to the floor while attempting to evade Drummond's defensive pressure.

Then, all hell broke loose. Drummond was whistled for a second technical foul and summarily tossed from the game.

Drummond was bemused, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was apoplectic, and Philadelphia's home crowd burst into fury.

A closer look at the incident revealed Drummond made little if any contact with Wembanyama. Still, Drummond was handed his marching orders. He sulked into the tunnel, unsure of why he had been dealt such a wicked fate.

A reprieve was on the horizon, however. Drummond's ejection was subject to video review. The referees realized the error of their ways and swiftly overturned the call, leading to a Willis Reed-like return for the two-time All-Star big.

Referee Jenna Schroeder acknowledged her mistake once Drummond returned to the floor, apologizing to Nurse and his team.

In the end, Philadelphia survived the chaos, prevailing 111-106 behind Tyrese Maxey's 32-10-8 effort. Wembanyama handled the boo birds and posted a 26-9-4 line with eight blocks and, nearly, two big-man ejections.

Who is the referee who ejected Joel Embiid?

Jenna Schroeder is the referee who ejected Embiid and nearly ejected Drummond. Schroeder is in her fifth season refereeing at the NBA level, having previously offered her services in the G-League, WNBA and college game.

“I wanted to do as many games as I could to prepare me to work in the NBA," Schroeder said of getting reps prior to her NBA promotion, per NBA.com's Steve Aschburner and Michaela Gilmer. "And this is not a skill you can learn overnight.”

A Flint, Mich. native, Schroeder played basketball at Oakland University and Saginaw Valley in college. She graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Communications and has since refereed more than 130 NBA games. She's one of seven women referees (and one non-binary referee) currently working in the NBA, per Elle.

“My ideals completely match up with the NBA’s and I think it would be difficult to work for a company if your ideals didn’t and I just feel very fortunate that they believe in everything I believe in," Schroeder said.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.