It’s rare for NBA referees to admit fault during games, but Jenna Schroeder did just that on Monday night in Philadelphia.
During the 76ers’ 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, Schroeder’s handling of a controversial second-quarter ejection for center Andre Drummond quickly became the night’s most talked-about moment.
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Drummond received two consecutive technical fouls after an exchange with Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
The second technical resulted in an automatic ejection, leaving the two-time All-Star visibly stunned.
However, upon review, officials determined that Drummond’s contact with Wembanyama was minimal, rescinding the ejection and calling Wembanyama for a flop.
The sequence sparked confusion, amplified by a subsequent reversal of the flopping call after 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey sank the technical free throw.
In the aftermath of the chaos, Schroeder approached 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, who was visibly upset, to take responsibility for the mistake.
“I f-ked up! [Wembanyama] gets a technical, and I’m sorry about that,” Schroeder was overheard saying to Nurse before extending her apology to the rest of the bench.
Drummond returned to the court to a roaring ovation from the Philadelphia crowd, but the officiating decisions left many fans and players puzzled.
“Just the whole thing was really strange,”Nurse said in his postgame remarks.
“Without looking at the tape to see what was actually going on there, I doubt that he was going down because of such aggressive pushing. … All three of the calls seemed really strange to me, but on we go.”
Even Wembanyama weighed in, clarifying that he had simply tripped.
“Just stepped on my foot, and I fell. That’s it,” he said.
The bizarre officiating continued later in the game, with Joel Embiid receiving two quick technical fouls and an ejection for yelling at Schroeder over an offensive foul call.
Despite the confusion, the 76ers held on for the win, led by Maxey’s 32-point performance.
However, Schroeder’s rare public accountability has sparked widespread debate across the NBA community.
