By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With 1:27 left in the first quarter of Boston’s chippy 111-103 victory Friday night, Isaiah Thomas and German guard Dennis Schroder were hit with double technical fouls after jawing at one another.
Schroder told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had a conversation with official Zach Zarba.”I’m not going to let nobody slap me in my face,” the backup Hawks point guard told the newspaper. “I told him that. If you want to play like that, we’ll play like that. I was mad.”
As the two were heading down court before the verbal exchange, Thomas could be seen throwing his left hand at Schroder’s face. Schroder said he couldn’t believe Thomas was not called for anything right after that and also he tweeted his surprise after the game, then deleted the tweet.
“Woow… They calling a flagrant foul on me!” Schroder tweeted. “Where I try to protect myself!!! But Isaiah Thomas can hit me in my face!” Schroder, who also was whistled for a flagrant foul 1 on Thomas with 8:36 left in the fourth, included a picture of Thomas’ hand on his face in the tweet.
Thomas, who gave the Celtics their first victory of the postseason to cut the Hawks‘ lead in the series to 2-1, said he’s not worried about a potential suspension or fine.
“I’m not,” Thomas said. “Because I didn’t mean to hit his head. He got mad, he was talking. It’s playoff basketball. That’s what it’s about. I’m not going to back down from anybody, and he knows that.”
The Hawks expect the NBA to review the play.