NEW YORK — The NBA has issued a $75,000 fine to Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers, following his inappropriate gestures during the first half of their recent 118-114 victory against the Boston Celtics.

This penalty comes on the heels of a previous suspension that kept Embiid off the court for three games without pay due to an incident in which he pushed Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes.

Embiid, who garnered the MVP title for the 2022-23 season, has had a challenging start to this season, appearing in only nine games so far. His current statistics show an average of 21.3 points and seven rebounds per game.

Looking ahead, Embiid and the 76ers are scheduled to face off against the Utah Jazz on Saturday evening.