Embiid fined for altercation with Collins, Fernando suspended for Game 7 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
About eight hours before the Sixers and Hawks' Game 7 matchup, the NBA announced a fine and a suspension stemming from a fourth-quarter altercation in Game 6.
The league said that Joel Embiid has been fined $35,000 for "pursuing Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins in an unsportsmanlike manner and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview following the on-court incident."
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Hawks center Bruno Fernando has been suspended for Game 7 for leaving the bench area. The 22-year-old has been outside of the Hawks' rotation.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/2yzmuxP3AJ— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 20, 2021
Below is the incident, which took place after Embiid was called for an offensive foul and then pushed by Collins on the ground. He advanced toward Collins with his arms spread wide, and a crowd of players soon joined them on the baseline:
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Joel Embiid and John Collins in each other's faces late in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/vJooBJD8Ea— ESPN (@espn) June 19, 2021
Both Embiid and Collins were called for technical fouls. Embiid disagreed with the initial offensive foul call and also didn't like how Game 6 was officiated in general.
“Well, I got a tech for it, and I didn’t think it was an offensive foul,” he said Friday night. “I was just trying to stay calm and have my hands up. Someone was pushing me from the back and I don’t understand why I got a tech, but I guess it is what it is. I was hacked all night and I don’t think I got to the free throw line until I got to the fourth quarter. So it was questionable. But we got the win. That’s all that matters.”
