Delighted Clippers Fans Chanted 'Flopper' at Joel Embiid After Replay Review

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The Philadelphia 76ers notched their fourth consecutive win on Monday night as they went out West and downed the Los Angeles Clippers, 128-113. A balanced attack led by Tyrese Maxey, Dominick Barlow and Joel Embiid proved too much for the home team, who could not overcome digging themselves a 19-point deficit after the first quarter.
That doesn't mean there wasn't any fun to be had for Clippers fans who made the trip to the Intuit Dome. A replay review in the third quarter provided them the opportunity to get on Embiid for the perceived sin of embellishment.
With the 76ers holding an 18-point lead, L.A.'s Ivica Zubic was whistled for a foul on Embiid. It was a 50-50 call as Zubic swiped across Embiid's body to poke the ball away. Ty Lue decided that it was iffy enough to challenge and upon further examination, the foul was rescinded.
Ivica Zubac is called for the foul on Joel Embiid, the Clippers successfully challenge it, the local crowd starts chanting "Flopper", Embiid having some words with Ty Lue (with replays).
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 3, 2026
Since there was no clear possession of the ball, there was a jump ball in mid-circle.
Embiid… pic.twitter.com/tb1b1erLmQ
Delighted Clippers fans let Embiid know about it by directing a "flopper" chant at the Philadelphia big man. And while the results of the challenge speak for themselves and Embiid—like a lot of players can sell a call—it may be a bit of an unfair accusation in this specific case. Yes, Zubic made contact with the ball but it's up for debate if that contact took place before Embiid's right arm got raked away.
If anything, it's another reminder how difficult it is to referee in real-time. And that fans will jump at the chance to give the business to the opposing team's best player.
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Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.
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