Brook Lopez already drew a fine for his first career ejection. He decided he might as well get another one.
After the officials gave Lopez two questionable technicals and his first ejection in the fourth quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ win over the Toronto Raptors, he let them have it in a postgame interview.
“I can’t expect the refs to get it right if they’re not going to get it right during the game,” Lopez told Bucks reporter Zora Stephenson after the game. “Why are they going to get it right when they replay it, or any other calls? It’s what it is, you know? I make mistakes, and they make mistakes, too. They made mistakes tonight.”
When Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. wrapped up Lopez, Lopez walked him all the way into the crowd, then pulled off his headband, which led to technical foul No. 1. As for the shove of OG Anunoby, which supposedly led to Lopez’s ejection, we just don’t see it. Anunoby is holding Lopez’s left arm, and Lopez pulls his arm free. That’s it.
Sometimes the officials simply want to turn the temperature down on a heated contest, and that looks like the case here. But double technicals on Lopez and Anunoby would have sufficed! The referees have been quick with whistles all season, T’ing players up for clapping and other minor infractions. It stems from the new guidelines for 2022-23, but aside from Theo Pinson dressing in the opposing team’s colors on the Mavericks bench, who is actually hurt by players celebrating on the bench or clapping in frustration?
Kevin Durant has 10 technical fouls and he can’t understand why.
It’s the first time Lopez has been kicked out of an NBA game, but his brother Robin gets ejected all the time.
By the end of his interview, Lopez had softened, saying “basketball is a fun game,” and complimenting the play of teammate Joe Ingles, who just happened to be standing off-camera. (Ingles had 15 points on five shots, plus eight assists.)
After brushing cat hair off his teammate’s jacket, Ingles had just one question for Lopez: What did he dislike so much about Trent’s headband?
“It was driving me so insane, I had to do something. It was talking to me,” answered Lopez, adding, “Make sure this never gets aired. Do you know how serial killers say the dog in their apartment was talking? The headband was talking to me.”
We’re not sure that defense will work when Lopez appeals his ejection, but if nothing else, Lopez got his money’s worth with the inevitable fine.
