Doc Rivers sounds off after controversial fouls on James Harden, Joel Embiid: ‘We got a problem in this league’

NEW YORK — Doc Rivers has had a major voice in the NBA for some time. The 76ers coach is a league lifer who is not afraid to speak out about what he views as an injustice. He’s also savvy enough to navigate any scenario with charm and — when need be — criticism.

On Friday, the topic Rivers set his sight on was officiating. Rivers addressed Joel Embiid’s Flagrant 1 foul, an infraction he received for retaliating against Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton. Rivers also called James Harden’s Flagrant 2 foul, which resulted in his ejection, a joke.

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

Harden will be available for Saturday’s Game 4 contest at the Barclays Center as the Sixers look to complete the sweep. However, league sources confirmed to The Inquirer that Embiid will miss the game with a sprained right knee.

The NBA decided not to seek further action against Embiid or Harden, a decision that followed the NBA’s move to suspend Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green for stepping on the chest of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis.

“I didn’t think Draymond should have been suspended, and I think the league is setting up a very dangerous precedent right now,” said Rivers, who has spent a combined 37 seasons in the NBA as a player and coach. “This is not me campaigning, and I’m dead serious. And I said it kind of yesterday before. I wish I said it louder. But if we are going to start punishing the retaliators and not the instigators, then we got a problem in this league.”

It was clear that the Nets’ tactic was to mess with Embiid, and Rivers is concerned with teams targeting better players with instigation to get them thrown out. He thinks that’s what happened to Green in the Warriors’ Game 2 loss to the Kings.

“Draymond Green stepped on a guy’s chest because he was holding his foot,” Rivers said. “The instigator was holding his foot.”

Rivers even called out Nets coach Jacque Vaughn, whom he coached with the Orlando Magic. Vaughn said Embiid should have been ejected for kicking Claxton in the groin area early in Game 3.

“As a coach, and I love Jacque, but I can’t believe we have coaches campaigning for guys not to play,” Rivers said. “That’s nuts to me. I’ve been a player, and this a players’ league and I am 100 percent pro player. I think players should play in games.

“We talk all year about fans not being happy about guys playing, and now we’re taking guys out of the playoffs.”

Claxton started the incident after dunking on Embiid just 2 minutes, 26 seconds into the game. The Nets center knocked an off-balance Embiid to the court on the play, then Claxton stood over him. Embiid responded with a kick that appeared to miss its intended target.

“If I was at a park … and you stood over me, we’re going to have a problem,” Rivers said. “I didn’t grow up in the sticks and stone era. I grew up in the break the bones era, so it’s a little different. Having said that, these guys know they can do it because they know most likely you can’t do anything.

“I mean, I’m not picking on Claxton. But I don’t think at a park, he’s standing over Joel. But when you got the ref and everybody else there, you know nothing’s going to happen.”

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

In regards to Harden, the coach said he still hasn’t seen a foul on the play.

But the point guard received the Flagrant 2 foul and headed to the locker room early after elbowing Brooklyn Nets swingman Royce O’Neale in the groin area with 13.6 seconds left in the third quarter.

Harden was originally called for an offensive foul, but the infraction was upgraded after officials reviewed the play.

“The problem I have with James getting thrown out, there were three officials and at least one to two guys in Secaucus [N.J., at the NBA Replay Center], and that’s what they came up with,” Rivers said. “I just can’t understand that one.”

» READ MORE: Sixers vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 3 takeaways: Tyrese Maxey is special; Nets are desperate; Sixers are resilient

Rivers acknowledged that Embiid’s Flagrant 1 could have gone either way. However, he thinks Embiid kicked him in the leg, not his groin. The coach said he didn’t know Embiid’s intended target.

“But don’t stand over me,” he said. “That’s like we have these unwritten rules in hockey … We need to create some in our league, and one of them is you don’t straddle the guy and stand over them. You just don’t do all that.”