NBA referee Jenna Schroeder had to correct a mistake in a bizarre situation during the Philadelphia 76ers’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
Early in the second quarter, 76ers center Andre Drummond was ejected for a foul on Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. However, video replay of the incident forced referees to overturn the ejection and call Drummond back into the game despite him already walking off the floor.
Referee Jenna Schroeder during the game between the 76ers and San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 23, 2024 in Philadelphia. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Schroeder was heard telling 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, “I f—ed up.” Drummond was allowed back into the game.
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Instead of Drummond receiving the technical foul, Wembanyama was hit with a technical foul for flopping. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey shot the technical free throw but officials then rescinded the technical foul and took away a point.
Crew chief Curtis Blair said the review showed Drummond stepped on Wembanyama’s foot and that it was ruled incidental contact.
San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson goes up for a dunk against 76ers’ Andre Drummond, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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The Spurs’ 7-footer said there shouldn’t have been a foul on the play.
“Just stepped on my foot and I fell,” he said. “That’s it. I just got tripped. I didn’t mean to fall. I didn’t expect the foul to be called. I just fell.”
Nurse also reacted to the incident.
“The whole thing was really strange,” he said.
Sixers star Joel Embiid was also ejected from the game after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct technical fouls. He was seen rushing Schroeder at one point and needed to be held back.
Sixers center Andre Drummond, left, reacts after being called for a foul against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Dec. 23, 2024. (Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
Embiid didn’t speak to the media after the game.
Philadelphia topped San Antonio, 111-106.
