Russell Westbrook got T'd up for hitting a ref in the head with the ball
Russell Westbrook entered Wednesday night’s matchup with the Charlotte Hornets with nine technical fouls on the season. That number’s not as high as it was last week — the league recently rescinded a pair of the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s T’s from earlier this season — but still high enough to lead the league. Westbrook added to his total early in Wednesday’s 123-112 loss to Charlotte, thanks to a post-whistle beanball that clonked the noggin of an unsuspecting referee:
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After a pair of Hornets run-out dunks to tie the game at 16 with just under 3 1/2 minutes left in the first, Westbrook dribbled into the frontcourt to call timeout so head coach Billy Donovan could regroup the Thunder. After coming to the sideline, Westbrook threw the ball toward the basket. Referee Tre Maddox wasn’t paying attention, and it hit him square in the head; referee Brent Barnaky responded by instantly slapping Russ with a technical, despite his protestations that the headshot was purely accidental.
Let’s take another look at that, in slow motion:
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Westbrook seemed awfully upset at getting T’d up for the accidental donking, but that might not have been all that got the All-Star running hot:
Russell Westbrook slow to get up & limping a little bit after he hit the deck and two Hornets fell on him. Seems to be favoring right leg.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) January 5, 2017
Westbrook went over and talked to official Sean Corbin during timeout. Lots of hand gestures and such.
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) January 5, 2017
Westbrook back out there after a talk with a ref. Wanted the foul call. He looks fine now, might have quadruple-double by halftime.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) January 5, 2017
Westbrook was pretty upset during prev timeout. Slammed on scorer's table. Cheeks, Collison each took turns cooling him off.
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) January 5, 2017
Westbrook just went into the tunnel. He used to do that when he was overly steamed about something. Was very upset about last few minutes.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 5, 2017
Thunder assistant Maurice Cheeks and Russell Westbrook just came out of the tunnel together. Back on bench. https://t.co/7uj4KNED4z
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) January 5, 2017
There’s a good chance that, like the two Ts wiped clean this past week, Westbrook’s latest tech will be rescinded upon review. For now, though, Russ is back in double-figures, and referees the league over have a new reminder to keep their heads on a swivel when they’re out there on the court.
Westbrook again carried the offensive load for the Thunder, scoring a team-high 33 points (albeit on 10-for-31 shooting) to go with 15 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block in 34 minutes. It wasn’t enough on Wednesday, though, as the Hornets scored a 123-112 win behind 28 points from swingman Nicolas Batum and another strong outing from All-Star-hopeful point guard Kemba Walker (20 points, nine assists, four rebounds, two steals).
After the game, Westbrook insisted his first-quarter headshot was unintentional and that he would “never, ever disrespect the game like that,” according to ESPN.com’s Royce Young:
“I called his name. He turned right at me and then looked away. I don’t know,” Westbrook said. “I don’t know what to tell you, brother. I really don’t. I’m not the type of guy … I would never, ever disrespect the game like that and throw the ball at the referee. I’ve never done it before. That’s just not even heard of in the game before. To get a tech, it’s crazy to me. But you take the good with the bad.” […]
Westbrook had another incident of throwing the ball earlier in the season, this one coming from half court during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The ball struck the stanchion, and initially Westbrook was assessed a technical foul. After the referees convened, they determined it was unintentional. Asked about that situation, Westbrook took exception.
“I don’t want to hear that s—, man. Come on, man,” he said. “I ain’t perfect, bro. I make mistakes like everybody else. The ball slipped in Portland. Don’t come up with that s—, man. Don’t do that.”
Referee Sean Corbin defended the decision in a brief chat with a pool reporter after the game. From the Associated Press:
“Instead of Russell giving the ball to the nearest official, he throws it in the area where Tre [Maddox] is and Tre is not looking,” official Sean Corbin said after the game. “The ball hits him in the face, so that is a technical foul.”
Whether the league office believes Westbrook should get a reprieve remains to be seen.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
