76ers' T.J. McConnell went to extreme measures to keep teammate Jimmy Butler out of trouble Friday during the team's 123-121 loss to the Hawks.
Butler, known for his fiery personality on the court, was knocked to the floor after taking an elbow to his face while guarding Alex Len in the post. It was clear the 76ers star was angry, which prompted McConnell to step in and make sure the situation didn't escalate.
Instead of just holding back Butler, McConnell literally dragged Butler across the lane to separate him from Len. Several Philadelphia players then came over to calm Butler and to stop the Hawks' from intervening.
Butler was HEATED after taking an elbow to the face, but T.J. came to the rescue to keep him out of trouble.
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 12, 2019
Len got a flagrant 1 for this. pic.twitter.com/Cryg7Riwsu
Len was assessed a flagrant foul-1 for using his elbow.
The Hawks ended up getting their first road win since Dec. 28 and improved to 13-29. Philadelphia fell to 27-16. Len came off the bench to give Atlanta nine points and six rebounds in 13 minutes.
Butler led Philadelphia with a team-high 30 points, though he missed two free throws with 2.4 seconds left in the game that could have tied the score.
