Interesting read from the HOUSTON CHRONICLE no less.
3. Gobert already had paid his fine. He had gone on a rant about the way things were called for the Heat and not for the Jazz. He brought up a bias against a small market team. He was hit for $15,000 and no one could be surprised.
If he left the arena on Thursday believing the officials were teaching him a lesson few could blame him.
Before a tick could get off the clock, Gobert was called for grabbing Clint Capela's arm on the jump ball, the fastest foul possible in an NBA game. He did seem to reach and make contact, but did not seem to affect Capela at all. Since the Rockets won the tip anyway, calling that seemed the epitome of a 'gotcha' call officials should avoid.
When Gobert picked up his second foul less than three minutes later, his night was about to be over.
Gobert deserved the technical foul he got for sending containers on the scorers' table flying. Officials, however, knew why he was so livid. They knew they had called him for an entirely inconsequential foul almost never called before anyone had time to get sweaty.
If he had said or done something to get the technical foul and then had a tantrum on the scorers' table items, then an ejection would be warranted. But players, stars or otherwise, should not be tossed unless necessary. This was not necessary. Gobert picked up two fouls. He earned his technical. He was heading to the bench. Play on.
Jazz fans, who would boo the call if a Jazz player defended with a swinging two-by-four, could understandably believe that officials were making Gobert pay for his comments. He already paid. Courtney Kirkland did not have to call the foul on the opening tip. He did not have to give Gobert the hook for his technical.
"It was just too demonstrative," lead official Tom Washington said, "and we had to take action on that."
They already did. They gave him a technical foul he deserved. Anything beyond that was excessive, as if making a point officials are not there to make
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