Sixers star James Harden calls his Flagrant 2 foul and Game 3 ejection ‘unacceptable’

NEW YORK — Asked what happened on the play where he received a Flagrant foul 2 and was ejected, James Harden paused for a moment and went straight for the letter U.

“Unacceptable,” the 76ers point guard. “Like unacceptable flagrant 2. The first time I’ve been ejected. I’m not labeled as a dirty player. I didn’t hit him in a private area. Somebody is draped on you like that defensively, it’s just a natural basketball reaction.”

But he received the Flagrant foul 2 and went to the locker room after elbowing Brooklyn Nets swingman Royce O’Neale in the groin area with 13.6 seconds left in the third quarter of Thursday’s 102-97 Game 3 victory. Harden was originally called for an offensive foul, but the infraction was upgraded after officials reviewed the play.

» READ MORE: Sixers survive Joel Embiid injury, James Harden ejection to take commanding 3-0 series lead

“Based on the point of contact directly to the groin, it rose to the level of excessive and ejection,” crew chief Tony Brothers said of why Harden was ejected.

The Sixers went on to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. Game 4 is at 1 p.m. Saturday.

However, Harden wasn’t done with Game 3 when he spoke to the media. Harden said he didn’t hit O’Neale hard enough for him fall down. It was hard to tell on the video monitor if Harden actually hit O’Neale.

“But for a Flagrant 2 is unacceptable,” he said. “You’ve seen around the league, things that are much more worse than what that play was. Honestly, I don’t even think it was a foul on me. But that’s unacceptable. That can’t happen.”

With O’Neale draped on him, the 10-time All-Star said his natural reaction was to use his off arm to move the defender off him.

“It wasn’t no wind up, elbow, none of that,” Harden said. “I didn’t hit him in the private area, none of that. So that just can’t happen, can’t happen.”

Harden was having a solid shooting performance, scoring 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Harden was 5 of 8 on two-point attempts after he made just 2 of 13 two-pointers in the first two games.

» READ MORE: After nearly kicking his way out of Game 3, Joel Embiid is lucky to learn from a win | David Murphy

Harden said it was horrible watching the game from the locker room after being ejected.

“And I’m having an OK game, you know what I mean?” he said. “I’m aggressive a little bit, you know what I mean? This is one of the worst feelings. I don’t want that. It can’t happen again unless it’s called for.

“But I’m happy we won the game. Game 4 Saturday. I’ll see y’all then.”