Joel Embiid Ejected for 76ers vs. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs; Disappoints NBA Fans

The showdown between Joel Embiid and Victor Wembanyama was the headline for Monday's NBA slate.

So much for that.

The Philadelphia 76ers big man was ejected in the first half when he was called for an offensive foul when driving on the San Antonio Spurs star. He was upset with the call and argued before being assessed two technical fouls.

It was an early end to a disappointing night for Embiid.

He finished with nine points and three rebounds on 2-of-8 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 shooting from deep. On the other side was Wembanyama, who had a stunning seven blocks in the first half alone and clearly won the game within the game with the big-man battle.

Social media had plenty of response to Embiid's ejection:

This is more of the same for the 76ers, who have dealt with injuries and inconsistent performances throughout the campaign. They entered play with an ugly 9-17 record, which is nowhere near where they expected to be at the start of the season.

Instead of battling with the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and others atop the Eastern Conference standings, they are not even in position to earn a play-in tournament spot.

Having a healthy Embiid available for more of the games as the season progresses should help them climb the standings, as he appeared in just seven of the team's first 26 games.

But being healthy doesn't help much if he's going to get ejected before halftime.