Joel Embiid swatted away the basketball — and maybe the Nets’ season.

As Spencer Dinwiddie drove the lane looking for the tying layup that could’ve saved the Nets after blowing a late five-point fourth-quarter lead to the 76ers, Embiid rotated from the back side and blocked the shot. Visiting fans at Barclays Center started a “MVP” chant for Embiid.

The Nets had one more chance to survive but threw away an in-bounds pass after a timeout to draw up the tying 3-point shot, and an uncontested basket at the other end finished off a 102-97 victory for the 76ers in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The Nets are in a 3-0 hole and will try to avoid being swept in Game 4 at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Tyrese Maxey’s 26-foot step-back 3 broke a 96-96 tie with 44 seconds remaining.

He scored 25 points on a night when Embiid looked to be battling back and knee pain but made the big block to add 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The game had a playoff-feel from the opening three minutes, when Embiid and Nic Claxton continued their history of bad blood.

Claxton finished an alley-oop dunk while getting fouled by a falling Embiid and then started down and stepped over his nemesis.

Not taking it lightly, Embiid karate-kicked Claxton between the legs.

Officials reviewed the replay and assessed a technical foul to Claxton and a Flagrant 1 foul to Embiid, who was not ejected like he would’ve been if the contact was deemed a Flagrant 2.

Believe it or not, the physicality escalated from there: The 76ers’ James Harden and Claxton both were ejected in the final 13 minutes.

Harden, who had a team-high 21 points, was tossed for a Flagrant 2 offensive foul on Royce O’Neal.

Claxton, who had 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and four rebounds, was ejected with 8:48 to go after earning a second technical foul for taunting.

Claxton flexed in Embiid’s face and bumped Tobias Harris, drawing a whistle and a point back to the locker room from Embiid, who played the final five-plus minutes with five fouls.