The 76ers' opening-round playoff series against the Nets had its share of subplots.
The two Atlantic Division rivals have engaged in trash-talking, physical play, an on-court melee and even ejections. Now, you can add a general manager getting suspended and fined to the excitement.
The NBA announced Sunday that Brooklyn GM Sean Marks has been suspended one game without pay and fined $25,000 for entering the referee locker room following Saturday's Game 4 matchup. The Sixers took a commanding 3-1 series lead a 112-108 victory at the Barclay Center.
Mike Scott hit a wide-open 3-pointer from the corner on an assist from Joel Embiid to give the Sixers a 110-108 lead with 19.7 seconds left.
Jarrett Allen turned over the ball while being triple-teamed by Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris on the ensuing possession. Simmons, who stole the ball, quickly passed to Harris, who was fouled with 4.8 seconds left.
He made both foul shots to give the Sixers a four-point cushion.
Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson thought Allen was fouled before he was stripped of the ball.
"The big point of emphasis this year was the wrapping," he said, "wrapping a player when he rolls to the rim, wrapping around the waist. ... But there's a clear wrap by Tobias Harris on the roll.
"I'm just disappointed if that's a point of emphasis from Day 1 at the coaches meeting, how they could really emphasize it the beginning of the game and end of game and all season. So how that all of the sudden doesn't become a foul on the wrap, I don't understand."
Atkinson said he looked at a video clip of the play 10 times after the game.
"There's a clear wrap," he said.
Marks may have sought out the referees to express his displeasure with that no-call or another incident.
That's because the game didn't lack excitement, as Jimmy Butler and Nets forward Jared Dudley were ejected after an on-court melee with 7 minutes, 42 seconds left in the third quarter.
The melee began when Allen was knocked to the court by Embiid on a layup attempt, and Embiid forcefully swiped at the ball.
Dudley took exception and rammed into Embiid. Butler then shoved the forward in the back underneath the basket. As players rushed in, Simmons was knocked into Dudley, sending both players into front-row seats on the baseline.
NBA referee crew chief Ed Malloy was also knocked down.
Game 5 of the playoff series is 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.
