Mad Dog Game

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was fined $35,000 for “escalating the on-court altercation” between himself and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday night, the NBA announced Sunday.

Also, Hawks reserve center Bruno Fernando was suspended without pay for Sunday’s Game 7 in Philadelphia for leaving the bench area during the altercation.

The NBA said Embiid’s fine was for pursuing “Collins in an unsportsmanlike manner and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview following an on-court incident.”

The incident occurred with 4:02 left in the fourth quarter, when Embiid fell onto Collins’ legs after an offensive foul as he was attempting to go up for a basket.

Collins pushed Embiid off him but then Embiid walked into Collins with his hands outstretched as the two went toward the stanchion, with teammates from both sides trying to separate them. Fernando then left the bench area during the incident, which occurred near Atlanta’s bench.

Collins and Embiid were given technical fouls for the altercation.

“I got a tech for it, and I didn’t think it was an offensive foul,” Embiid said after game. “I was just trying to stay calm and have my hands up. And someone was pushing me from the back, and I don’t understand why I got a tech.”

On Saturday, Hawks coach Nate McMillan talked about the fine line between playing with intensity and making sure things don’t get out of hand.

“You’ve got to be smart out there,” McMillan said. “You have to play the game and protect yourself. There are situations where guys are getting hit and they feel that those are fouls that are unnecessary and sometimes you just respond and you react in a situation like that. You try to keep your head, but you also tell our guys we have to protect ourselves as well.

“That situation with John, Embiid falling on his leg, it was a very similar situation that happened in Philadelphia where Embiid fell on his leg. Those are situations where guys just feel that, you could really injure a player. I don’t know how much Embiid weighs, but a guy like that falling on your leg, I think John just responded to that.”

Fernando’s suspension will cost him $10,469 in salary, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

On the day the Phoenix Suns played their first Western Conference finals game in more than a decade, Suns general manager James Jones was honored as the league’s Executive of the Year.

In a tight vote, which is conducted by the league’s executives themselves, Jones got nine first place votes and had 65 total points, just edging out Utah Jazz vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey, who also had nine first place votes and finished with 61 total points.

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks finished third with five first place votes and 51 total points, while several other executives— including Leon Rose (Knicks), Tim Connelly (Nuggets), Travis Schlenk (Hawks), Mitch Kupchak (Hornets), Sam Presti (Thunder) and Neil Olshey (Blazers) each received at least one first place vote.

Jones, who took over as the team’s head of basketball operations in 2018, was part of the brain trust that built the foundation of this Phoenix team, which broke through after missing the playoffs for the entire past decade. The Suns finished this season with the NBA’s second-best record and advanced past the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets so far in these playoffs.

Since taking over in Phoenix, Jones has made a series of moves to get the Suns to where they are now, beginning with hiring Monty Williams as coach prior to last season. Then Jones beat several teams to the punch to sign free agent Jae Crowder, giving Phoenix the rugged two-way forward it needed alongside young stars Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton in the frontcourt, along with swinging the blockbuster move of the offseason to acquire Chris Paul to give the young Suns the on-court leadership and organization they needed.

The NBA concluded its offseason awards program this past week, having handed out the six individual awards — Most Valuable Player (Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic), Defensive Player of the Year (Jazz center Rudy Gobert), Sixth Man of the Year (Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson), Rookie of the Year (Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball), Most Improved Player (New York Knicks forward Julius Randle) and Coach of the Year (Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau) — as well as the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive Teams.

Saracens defeated Ealing on an aggregate score of 117-15 to return to the English top flight in style; Mark McCall said: “The unity and togetherness helped get us through. We get back into the Premiership with many of the same players who have stuck by us and showed faith in the club”

Mark McCall celebrated Saracens’ return to the Gallagher Premiership after Ealing were condemned to another heavy defeat.

The second leg of the Greene King IPA Championship final at StoneX Stadium saw Saracens emerge 57-15 winners, their aggregate score of 117-15 sending them back into the English top flight at a stampede.

It marked the end of a troubled period after the north London club were relegated for repeated salary cap breaches.

“It feels good. It’s been a long 18-20 months and we’ve looked forward to this day. Now that it’s happened it’s great,” director of rugby McCall said.

“It’s good to get the job done. We were in crisis mode around November 2019 and anything could have happened to the club.

“But the unity and togetherness helped get us through. We get back into the Premiership with many of the same players who have stuck by us and showed faith in the club.

“The players have relished the challenge of getting the club back up. I’ve been especially thrilled with the way the international guys have performed and shown real commitment and desire to carry on with Sarries.”

Saracens’ five-strong British and Irish Lions contingent made telling contributions as Ealing were put to the sword, Mako Vunipola, Elliot Daly and Jamie George all running in tries.

The club will be expected to launch an immediate challenge for the Premiership title but McCall refused to make any bold predictions.

“Time will tell. We’re happy with the squad we’ve got for next season – the senior internationals stayed, the loan players have had really successful years away and are coming back better players than they were,” he said.

“We’ve had some young lads who have had more time than they would have had so those three things are powerful.

“Our Lions players aren’t going to be available for a good chunk at the start of next season and we know that’s going to be difficult to accommodate, but the proof will always be in the pudding.”

Wales can dream of Euro 2016 repeat – but need Bale to be spot-on

Switzerland hit the post and Andrea Belotti forced Danny Ward into an important save after Gareth Bale had skied his unmarked volley over the bar. The Wales captain looked certain to grab a draw in Rome for his 10-man team when the ball fell kindly for a left-foot strike. But, like with his penalty miss against Turkey, he got it badly wrong. It could have been a costly error.

But that Swiss miss and Ward’s sharp stop prevented Wales from surrendering their goal difference advantage and they battled hard in the heat to ensure a second-place finish in Group A – and a Saturday night in Amsterdam.

The party there will not be quite what it could have been, given the travel restrictions Welsh fans are facing, but, wherever they are watching, they can now start to plot a path through this tournament that would emulate the class of 2016.

Russia or Denmark are the likely last-16 opponents, unless Finland can get a result off Belgium, and then it would be back to Baku to potentially face the Netherlands. That city was a happy hunting ground for Rob Page’s players in the group stage – and Wembley, the semi-finals and the chance to match the legends of Euro 2016 will be beckoning by then. It’s not impossible.

But while Wales have shown in this tournament they have a strong supporting cast – stronger than 2016? – they need their star man to step forward this weekend. Bale has shown moments of brilliance, particularly with his assists against Turkey, but his country needs him to be near-perfect in the knockouts to realise the dream. It’s a challenge he will relish.
Peter Smith

Italy strengthen their reputation as potential Euro 2020 winners

Roberto Mancini made eight changes to his Italy team against Wales but the replacements looked just as impressive in the Rome sunshine. The Azzurri have taken this tournament by storm – and on Sunday they showed they have the strength in depth required to go deep into the knockout rounds.

Fit-again Marco Verratti put in a performance of real class, pulling the strings in midfield, and will be a real asset in the next round, while Federico Bernardeschi, Matteo Pessina, Federico Chiesa, and Alessandro Bastoni all came in and caught the eye.

After seeing off Wales and topping Group A, Italy’s players celebrated in style in front of their home fans. It is a shame they are saying ciao to Rome, with their knockout path taking them to London and Munich. The Olimpico Stadium has been the perfect launchpad for this talented group.

But they are 30 unbeaten now – a joint-Italian record – and full of confidence. They will not fear anyone, anywhere. With options all over the pitch, Mancini’s trickiest task may be narrowing his squad down to a matchday eleven.
Peter Smith

Swiss and Shaqiri tricky potential last-16 opponents

In the end, Switzerland just had too much to do as they looked to overhaul Wales and reach the last 16 with a top-two finish in Group A.

They finished two goals shy of Wales despite an impressive 3-1 victory against Turkey and Rob Page’s side’s 1-0 defeat in Rome.

However, with a third-placed finish and a tally of four points , Vladimir Petkovic’s side still have high hopes of reaching the last 16 as one of the four best third-place finishers, and should they do that, they will be a tricky test for someone in the last 16.

Should they reach the knockout stages, their opponents will have to keep a close eye on Liverpool forward Xherdan Shaqiri.

Shaqiri has scored in the last four major tournaments and is now Switzerland’s outright top goalscorer at major tournaments, with his second goal this evening his seventh for his country at either the World Cup (4) or European Championships (3).

He was a constant thorn in the side of Turkey, controlling the game and scoring two fine goals to inspire his side to victory, and whoever Switzerland may come up against will have to pay close attention to him.
Oliver Yew

Podcast: A Scottish night to savour – but what’s up with Harry Kane?

Twenty five years on from their last tournament meeting, Scotland sprung an upset of sorts with an encouraging 0-0 draw against England that keeps their Euro 2020 hopes alive. Alice Piper is joined by Luke Shanley, Jess Creighton and Peter Smith to examine exactly where Scotland got it right, before conducting the inquest into England’s toothless display.

It was a Wembley performance for Scotland to savour as Steve Clarke’s selection earns alibis from supporters and lays the foundation for Tuesday’s “must-win” showdown with Croatia. But what’s gone wrong with Harry Kane? Will Gareth Southgate drop his captain against the Czech Republic? Is it time for Jack Grealish?

We also hear from Sky Sports News reporter Geraint Hughes to reflect on Wales‘ triumph over Turkey in Baku before looking ahead to Sunday’s final group game against Italy in Rome.

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Our Euro tipping has taken a turn for the worst with Friday night’s matches bearing little fruit for the experts and only Texi Smith riding the German train that derailed Portugal’s excellent start to the tournament. [Read more…] about The Roar’s Euro 2020 expert tips and predictions: Match Day 3 (part two)

If Melbourne City go on to lose next weekend’s grand final, it could arguably represent the greatest injustice in the A-League since Danny Vukovic was banned from the Beijing Olympics. [Read more…] about How fair is the A-League if Melbourne City can’t host the grand final?

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was fined $35,000 for “escalating the on-court altercation” between himself and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday night, the NBA announced Sunday.

Also, Hawks reserve center Bruno Fernando was suspended without pay for Sunday’s Game 7 in Philadelphia for leaving the bench area during the altercation.

The NBA said Embiid’s fine was for pursuing “Collins in an unsportsmanlike manner and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview following an on-court incident.”

The incident occurred with 4:02 left in the fourth quarter, when Embiid fell onto Collins’ legs after an offensive foul as he was attempting to go up for a basket.

Collins pushed Embiid off him but then Embiid walked into Collins with his hands outstretched as the two went toward the stanchion, with teammates from both sides trying to separate them. Fernando then left the bench area during the incident, which occurred near Atlanta’s bench.

Collins and Embiid were given technical fouls for the altercation.

“I got a tech for it, and I didn’t think it was an offensive foul,” Embiid said after game. “I was just trying to stay calm and have my hands up. And someone was pushing me from the back, and I don’t understand why I got a tech.”

On Saturday, Hawks coach Nate McMillan talked about the fine line between playing with intensity and making sure things don’t get out of hand.

“You’ve got to be smart out there,” McMillan said. “You have to play the game and protect yourself. There are situations where guys are getting hit and they feel that those are fouls that are unnecessary and sometimes you just respond and you react in a situation like that. You try to keep your head, but you also tell our guys we have to protect ourselves as well.

“That situation with John, Embiid falling on his leg, it was a very similar situation that happened in Philadelphia where Embiid fell on his leg. Those are situations where guys just feel that, you could really injure a player. I don’t know how much Embiid weighs, but a guy like that falling on your leg, I think John just responded to that.”

Fernando’s suspension will cost him $10,469 in salary, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

“I’m very surprised that, in the 30 years that I’ve played the US Open, this is the best I’ve seen. I thought they did a remarkable job, and I’m really proud and happy that it’s here at Torrey Pines.”

Phil Mickelson closed out a disappointing 30th appearance at the US Open before showering praise on the USGA, describing the set-up at Torrey Pines as “the best I’ve ever seen”.

Mickelson went into his national championship with renewed confidence that he could complete a career Grand Slam of majors following his historic victory at last month’s PGA Championship.

But despite enjoying fervent support from his home fans, the San Diego native was unable to find the same kind of form that swept him to the title at Kiawah Island, a final-round 75 leaving him among the also-rans on 11 over par.

The 51-year-old was understandably frustrated at not being able to force his way into contention, but he was not blaming the set-up over the South Course for his performance.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t play better, but I’m very surprised that, in the 30 years that I’ve played the US Open, this is the best I’ve seen,” said the six-time runner-up. “I thought they did a remarkable job, and I’m really proud and happy that it’s here at Torrey.

“The set-up is the best I’ve ever seen, and what they did really well is they made some of the hard holes harder, like 11 and 12, and they made some of the easy holes, like two, easier so you can make birdies.

“That type of set-up allows the players who are playing well to make up ground or separate themselves from the field. They just did such a great job here. I’m very impressed.

“I think this course here has been a great site, and the length and the overall difficulty in general and the great weather allowed them to do whatever they wanted to to showcase this tournament, and they’ve done a great job.”

Mickelson also dismissed suggestions he would focus more on the PGA Tour Champions, steadfastly believing he still has what it takes to compete on the main Tours, and he remains confident of adding to his tally of six major titles.

“There are some opportunities coming up with the way I’ve been playing that I’m optimistic that I can compete and contend,” he added. “There’s nothing more fun for me than to be in it on the weekend.

“I’ve actually been playing well enough to have chances, and we have some good tournaments coming up the next couple of months, and I’ll look back and reminisce when the season’s over and I have some time in the off-season to not need to work on my game.

“And I’ll still have that Wanamaker trophy I’ll be looking at, and I’m still looking to add a friend to it along the line.

“That win was very meaningful to me because I’ve been putting in a lot of work the last couple years and getting nothing out of it, and so to have a moment like that is something that makes it worthwhile.”

The final round of Euro 2020 group games continues on Monday, with Austria, Ukraine, Finland, Russia and Denmark all vying for a last-16 spot.

Belgium captain Eden Hazard has revealed he is still coming to terms with an injury-hit club season and admits he will struggle to last the whole game against Finland.

Hazard has made two substitute appearances so far at Euro 2020 and will start for Roberto Martinez’s side against the Finns in St Petersburg, but the Real Madrid winger conceded his right ankle might never be the same again after three fractures.

“I’m going to give it my all to be on the pitch as long as I can to the right level. It might be 50 minutes,” Hazard said.

“I don’t know if my ankle will ever be the same again. It definitely won’t be the same as 10 years ago when I was just starting out but that is just life.”

Finland head into their final group game daring to dream, with just a victory standing between them and a last-16 berth.

“I think we were maybe the only team that believed that we could be in this position,” head coach Markku Kanerva said. “We have dreamt about this. First, we dreamt about qualifying for the Euros, now we are dreaming about going through to the knockout stages.”

Ukraine will finish as runners-up behind Netherlands in Group C if they avoid defeat against Austria on Monday in Bucharest, having beaten North Macedonia last time out.

A win for Austria would see them progress with Netherlands and Ukraine coach Andriy Shevchenko knows it will be a tough game.

“Austria are a solid team with quality players,” he said. “They are a compact and athletic side, with a distinctive style. We have huge respect for them and are expecting a good match.

“Both teams will play to win, even though we know a point will be enough for us. But you won’t go far at this tournament with such a mentality; we will be playing only for a victory.”

Austria coach Franco Foda said: “We have it in our hands to reach the round of 16. Marko Arnautovic will be back for our ‘final’ against Ukraine. We will be ready.”

Netherlands head coach Frank De Boer hopes Memphis Depay’s move to Barcelona can inspire the forward to great things at Euro 2020.

Barca announced on Saturday the 27-year-old will join them on a two-year deal when his current contract with Lyon expires at the end of this month.

Depay has scored one goal in the Netherlands’ opening two Group C wins over Ukraine and Austria but has received criticism for his general level of play. De Boer admits sorting his club future out comes as a relief.

“I think Memphis is the first person to criticise his own game and say I can do better than I have shown so far,” he said.

“We need Memphis performing at the best level to reach as far as possible during this tournament. We are full of confidence and so is he. He knows what he wants, that is the reason he is a special player.”

North Macedonia can no longer qualify, having lost their opening two games, but Igor Angelovski wants his side to go out on a high.

“In the second half against Ukraine we were the real North Macedonia and showed that we deserved to be at the European Championship,” he said. “This is how we should play against the Dutch. We want to put on a real show and hopefully pick up our first points of the tournament.”

Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov believes his side will be able to shrug off their unfamiliar surroundings to beat Denmark and book their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020.

Russia go into their final Group B game in Copenhagen sure in the knowledge a second consecutive victory will take them into the last 16 of the tournament.

With his side bolstered by their tight 1-0 win over Finland in their last game, Cherchesov shrugged off the potential difficulties of playing such a crucial game without any of their supporters.

Cherchesov told uefa.com: “This is going to be our first away game in two major tournaments, and without our fans. However, it’s not a problem. We haven’t used the word ‘problem’ for the past five years. It’s just a situation, and we know how to deal with it.”

Denmark‘s loss to Belgium means they need to beat Russia and hope the Belgians do them a favour by seeing off Finland.

The Danes’ campaign has been put into sharp perspective by Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest, but coach Kasper Hjulmand insisted they still harboured hope of progressing in the tournament.

“No matter what, we shall go out there and try win the match,” said Hjulmand. “It is going to be an unbelievably hard match against Russia. We shouldn’t force anything. We all know how hard it is to force things, and we should keep a level head and prevent mistakes.”

Who’s playing on Monday?

Team news

North Macedonia vs Netherlands: With Netherlands’ spot in the last 16 already assured, Frank de Boer has confirmed he will make just two changes to his side for their final group game against North Macedonia.

North Macedonia bid farewell to legendary striker Goran Pandev in what will be his 122nd and final cap of an illustrious international career.

Ukraine vs Austria: Andriy Shevchenko has a near fully-fit Ukraine squad to call upon, with only Denys Popov (calf) and Oleksandr Zubkov (muscle) the only injury concerns.

Austria striker Marko Arnautovic will return to the squad after his suspension against Netherlands. The former West Ham player was banned after being found guilty of insulting another player in his side’s opening win over North Macedonia.

Finland vs Belgium: With qualification already secured, Roberto Martinez is expected to hand more minutes to those on the periphery of Belgium’s campaign so far. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel and Jeremy Doku could all start in St Petersburg. Thorgan Hazard is a booking away from a suspension and could be rested.

Finland are not expected to tinker with their line-up for a game that has must-win status. Right-back Nikolai Alho is available again after overcoming an ankle sprain, as is defender Jukka Raitala, who has shaken off a calf strain that forced him off against Denmark.

Russia vs Denmark: Russia are likely to stick with the team which beat Finland last time out, though they will be forced into a change down their right flank after Mario Fernandes sustained a heavy fall which will rule him out of the final group game.

Christian Eriksen remains Denmark’s only absentee after he suffered a cardiac arrest in their opening game against Finland.

Who needs what to qualify?

Netherlands have booked their last-16 place as Group C winners after beating Austria 2-0 on Thursday, while North Macedonia have become the first side to be eliminated from the tournament after their 2-1 loss to Ukraine.

Whoever wins the final group game on Monday – Austria or Ukraine – will finish in second place, while the latter would secure the runners-up berth with a draw in that clash in Bucharest.

Belgium are through to the knockout stages after beating Denmark 2-1 and will top Group B with a draw in their final group game against Finland on Monday.

Finland and Russia are locked together on three points, while Denmark are bottom of the table having lost their opening two games.

All of which means Russia will be through with a win against Denmark, or with a draw if Finland fail to beat Belgium. Meanwhile, Finland will progress with a win, or a draw if Russia lose to Denmark.

Finally, Denmark can finish second if they beat Russia and Finland lose against Belgium, but it will all depend on the goals scored in these two matches.

Key stats…

The Netherlands have never lost against North Macedonia, winning two and drawing two of their four previous meetings.

In four previous meetings between North Macedonia and the Netherlands, North Macedonia haven’t led for a single minute in any game, and they are yet to go ahead in a match at the European Championships, scoring both of their goals when trailing.

Current North Macedonia striker Goran Pandev scored in his team’s first international fixture against the Netherlands, nearly 17 years ago – it was in a FIFA World Cup qualifier played in October 2004 (2-2).

Ukraine and Austria have faced each other twice previously, both teams recording a win each in friendlies. This is their first encounter at a major tournament. The two previous games between Ukraine and Austria produced eight goals, an average of four per match.

Ukraine ended a run of six consecutive defeats at the European Championships with a 2-1 win over North Macedonia last time out. They have not won consecutive matches at a major tournament since beating Saudi Arabia and Tunisia in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup, with current boss Andriy Shevchenko scoring in both of those wins.

Denmark have suffered defeat in each of their two group stage games at Euro 2020, losing 1-0 to Finland and 2-1 to Belgium. They have twice previously lost all three of their group games in a European Championships tournament, doing so at Euro 1988 and Euro 2000.

Russia are looking to record back-to-back wins at the European Championships for the first time since winning three in a row at Euro 2008, the first two wins of which were their final two group games.

Belgium have failed to beat Finland in their last seven meetings (D3 L4), their last victory over the Finns dates back to October 1968, in a World Cup qualifier (6-1).

Finland have mustered just two shots on target across their two games at Euro 2020 so far. Since 1980, no team has ever had fewer than four shots on target over their three group games at the European Championship.

Belgium have won their final group stage game in each of their last four major tournament appearances (Euros and World Cup), since losing 2-0 against Turkey in EURO 2000.

Also at Euro 2020…

The Mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, will write to UEFA to ask for permission for the Allianz Arena to be lit up in rainbow colours when Germany host Hungary in their final Group F match.

Munich’s city council had already called for the stadium to be lit in rainbow colours in protest against a law passed in Hungary which prohibits sharing any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment with minors. The law has been widely denounced by human rights groups.

UEFA has confirmed it is investigating potential discriminatory incidents that occurred during Hungary’s first two Euro 2020 games at the Puskas Arena.

Anti-discriminatory group Fare sent a report highlighting a homophobic banner in the stands during the defeat to Portugal in Budapest on Tuesday.

Monkey chants were also heard during Hungary’s draw with France on Saturday, with UEFA saying an ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to conduct an investigation.

What are the Home Nations up to?

Phil Foden has told critics of Gareth Southgate they are clueless as he hailed the England manager as a “great coach”.

Southgate’s selection and tactics have been scrutinised in the opening two games of Euro 2020, especially following Friday’s disappointing goalless draw at home to Scotland.

Despite the underwhelming start to the finals leading to criticism of Southgate, Foden has no time for those questioning the England boss.

“He is a great coach – working with him every day you get to see what he is like,” the Manchester City winger told talkSPORT.

“He always has the players’ backs and I believe that his tactics are great so all these negative people don’t know what they are talking about because Gareth is a great coach.

“I believe in my team-mates. I see us every day in training and how much the creative players create chances. I just feel like it is going to come in the next game and we are going to create more so I don’t see it as a concern at all.”

Every member of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad trained ahead of Tuesday’s must-win final group game against Croatia at Hampden Park.

Scotland have vowed they are not ready to let their Euro 2020 campaign finish on Tuesday after giving themselves a platform to make history with a steel goalless draw at Wembley.

Now they are determined to build on their improved display when they take on the World Cup runners-up in their bid to reach the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time.

Assistant coach Steven Reid said: “To produce a performance like that, hopefully it gives the lads a little bit more belief in their own ability, because sometimes they need to believe in themselves a little bit more.

“We have that feeling, a few of us spoke about it after the game, that we are not ready to go home yet. We want to go deeper into the tournament. As good as the performance was against a very good England side, ultimately it means nothing if we are heading home on Wednesday.

“We want to take the positives from the two games and hopefully get a goal or two as well. If we don’t get a goal, we are heading home.”

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was fined $35,000 for “escalating the on-court altercation” between himself and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday night, the NBA announced Sunday.

Also, Hawks reserve center Bruno Fernando was suspended without pay for Sunday’s Game 7 in Philadelphia for leaving the bench area during the altercation.

The NBA said Embiid’s fine was for pursuing “Collins in an unsportsmanlike manner and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview following an on-court incident.”

The incident occurred with 4:02 left in the fourth quarter, when Embiid fell onto Collins’ legs after an offensive foul as he was attempting to go up for a basket.

Collins pushed Embiid off him but then Embiid walked into Collins with his hands outstretched as the two went toward the stanchion, with teammates from both sides trying to separate them. Fernando then left the bench area during the incident, which occurred near Atlanta’s bench.

Collins and Embiid were given technical fouls for the altercation.

“I got a tech for it, and I didn’t think it was an offensive foul,” Embiid said after game. “I was just trying to stay calm and have my hands up. And someone was pushing me from the back, and I don’t understand why I got a tech.”

On Saturday, Hawks coach Nate McMillan talked about the fine line between playing with intensity and making sure things don’t get out of hand.

“You’ve got to be smart out there,” McMillan said. “You have to play the game and protect yourself. There are situations where guys are getting hit and they feel that those are fouls that are unnecessary and sometimes you just respond and you react in a situation like that. You try to keep your head, but you also tell our guys we have to protect ourselves as well.

“That situation with John, Embiid falling on his leg, it was a very similar situation that happened in Philadelphia where Embiid fell on his leg. Those are situations where guys just feel that, you could really injure a player. I don’t know how much Embiid weighs, but a guy like that falling on your leg, I think John just responded to that.”

Fernando’s suspension will cost him $10,469 in salary, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.