It happened in the final seconds of the third quarter with the Nets holding an 80-76 lead. Harden was holding the ball several feet outside the three-point line with O'Neale defending him. Harden tried to sneak in the shot to O'Neale just as he made his move to set himself up for a three-point shot, with O'Neale curling up in pain.
The official was right there to blow the whistle, and the officials reviewed the play and gave Harden a flagrant 2, resulting in the immediate ejection.The referees of this game had some discretion, as Joel Embiid kicked Nic Claxton between the legs earlier in the game, but only received a flagrant 1. Not sure if this incident will lead to a suspension, however, but we shall see.
This isn't the first time Harden has taken a shot at somebody's groin. In fact, Harden kicked LeBron James in the groin several years back, getting a 1-game suspension for it.
Harden had 21 points at the time of his ejection, but the Sixers were able to come back to win the game 102-97 and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
