Why was James Harden ejected against Nets in NBA Playoffs Game 3? Sixers legend blasts officials for decision

James Harden spent only 29 minutes on the floor in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. The Philadelphia 76ers guard was ejected due to excessive contact during the third quarter of the game.

Many basketball fans were shocked when Harden was ejected from the game. Some people, including the star player, believe that there was no contact at all and that he shouldn't have even been called for a foul.

While the NBA veteran had a great performance on Thursday night, his team managed to win the game. The 76ers are now up 3-0 and will look to close out the series on Sunday in Brooklyn.

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James Harden was ejected for hitting Royce O'Neale in the groin area

With 13.6 seconds left in the third quarter, James Harden was dribbling the ball just outside the 3-point line. He was guarded by Royce O'Neale, but couldn't get past the opponent without fouling him.

While the replay showed that the Philadelphia 76ers guard did commit a foul, it wasn't very bad. It looks like O'Neale slightly exaggerated the contact after Harden hit the lower part of his body.

Harden was called for a Flagrant 2 and was immediately ejected from the game, much to the shock of many fans.

According to the NBA rulebook, Flagrant 2 is "unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent." While Harden's move may have been unnecessary, it certainly wasn't excessive. Due to this, he should have been given Flagrant 1 at most.

"I didn’t hit him in the private area," Harden said after the game. "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."

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Tony Brothers, the official who made the decision to kick James Harden out of the game, believed that the shooting guard hit his opponent directly in the groin, which was considered excessive.

Harden was ejected late in the third quarter (Image via Getty Images)

"I don’t think that was a foul," Harden added. "That’s unacceptable. That can’t happen."

Many fans believe that NBA referees simply wanted to make up for the call they missed on Joel Embiid early in the game. The 76ers center kicked Nic Claxton in the groin early in the first quarter, but was not ejected from the game.

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James Harden finished the game with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. He also added five rebounds and four assists to his stat line. It's important to note that the NBA can rescind Harden's Flagrant 2, although this won't have any effect on Game 3.

James Harden's Career Ejections

In his 14-year NBA tenure, James Harden got ejected from the game on two separate occasions. Events that led to Harden getting thrown from the game:

In the 2017-18 NBA season, Harden was ejected in a loss against the LA Clippers after dropping a 50-point game. It was only the 30th game of the regular season, and the Rockets had a 25-5 record.

The only other time James Harden got ejected from a game was in the 2022-23 NBA post-season. In game 3 of the first round of playoffs, Harden got ejected for hitting Royce O’Neale in the groin area.