Why the NBA's punishments are so skewed

Speaking on “Inside the NBA,” Charles Barkley summed up the difference in penalties between the two 76ers: “Kids at home, do not hit guys in their junk. Kick ‘em in the junk.”

According to referee pool report, the different was the “point of contact.” Meaning that Embiid stayed in the game because his aim was worse than Harden’s. 

Doc Rivers had a different explanation of why Embiid only received a Flagrant-1: The Nets were provoking Philly’s big man.

“That’s what teams do now,” the Sixers coach told Allie LaForce during Game 3. “And then when you respond you get suspended.”

So how is that different from Sabonis provoking Green by grabbing his ankle as he tried to run up court? It’s really not. But Embiid also didn’t embarrass the league.

Green’s suspension wasn’t simply due to his history of borderline fouls. He might have escaped with the ejection — a strong punishment in its own right, as the Warriors went on to drop Game 2. But he also ran around yelling at the crowd — and that crowd included NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

And that’s what the NBA’s discipline policy boils down to. You can hit below the belt, as long as your aim is bad. But if you embarrass the NBA, the league will come down hard on you.