PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was sent off after picking up two technical fouls in the first half of Monday night’s game against San Antonio.

Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2:59 left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical error for arguing with Schroeder and received another technical error – and a ejection – from Schroeder before more playing time had elapsed.

Embiid was close to Schroeder, but it was not clear from replays whether he had made contact with the referee.

An angry Embiid stormed toward the officials after the ejection and was held back by teammate Kyle Lowry, coach Nick Nurse and several assistants.

It’s been a busy season for Embiid. He played only his eighth game, missing many of them due to soreness in his left knee, three after a suspension for an altercation with a reporter in the locker room and another after a broken sinus he suffered on December 10. Monday’s game was just the fifth time Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia’s big three, started together.

Wearing a mask while playing in just his second game since fracturing his sinus, Embiid scored nine points and three rebounds in 14:22, shooting 2-for-8. This matchup against Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was a far cry from the first match between the Spurs 7ft. On Jan. 22 last year, Embiid set a Sixers franchise record with 70 points in a 133-123 win over the Spurs in Philadelphia.

In that game, Embiid made 24 of 41 field goals and 21 of 23 free throws and added 18 rebounds and five assists. Wembanyama scored 33 points in the first game.

On Monday in Wembanyama, Embiid took the lead right from the start and showed the same aggressiveness as in the first meeting. However, the Sixers star looked rusty for most of his abbreviated stay. Shortly before the ejection, Embiid was whistled for an offensive foul, which led to an altercation with Schroeder.

It was Schroeder’s second ejection of the quarter, although the first was overturned.

With 8:13 left, Schroeder ejected Philadelphia’s Andre Drummond for a flagrant foul on Wembanyama. However, after a video review, officials lifted the exclusion. They then initially assessed Wembanyam with a technical foul for flopping. Maxey shot and made a free throw and the point went on the scoreboard, but the referees overturned the technical decision, removed the point and restarted the game.

Embiid, a two-time NBA scoring champion, averaged 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Philadelphia had a 2-5 record in the seven contests he appeared in.