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Gregg Popovich to ejecting referee: 'You're a terrible referee'

Gregg Popovich tells it like it is. (AP)
Gregg Popovich tells it like it is. (AP)

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is known for saying what he thinks. That reputation for honesty covers topics as different as the American political landscape and whatever he thinks of a reporter’s poorly worded question. It’s who he is, and the basketball world seems to like it.

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Sometimes, though, it can get Pop in trouble. With roughly 90 seconds remaining in the first half of Thursday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets, Popovich began to argue a foul called on rookie big man Davis Bertans that gave Nikola Jokic an and-one oppportunity. Pop continued to voice his displeasure during the next possession and earned an ejection for his effort. The comment that pushed referee Zach Zarba to his limits was honest and direct — “You’re a terrible referee.”


Outside of the Popovich, the star of this incident is clearly Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Here’s another look at his personal ejection of Pop:

Mudiay offered a quasi-apology for his actions after the game:

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For what it’s worth, the Spurs did just fine without Popovich, starting point guard Tony Parker, and the newly injured Pau Gasol. San Antonio added to a one-point halftime lead by starting the third quarter on a 15-0 run that put the game out of reach. Freshly named All-Star starter Kawhi Leonard led the way with 34 points in the 118-104 win.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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