By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder and Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker and were both ejected for an altercation in the third quarter of Rocket’s 114-80 win on Saturday, after a run-in.
Schroder swung his arm between Tucker’s legs and hit his groin after an illegal screen, for which the Rockets forward was whistled, then moments after Tucker ran to Schroder yelling and eventually head-butting him.
The officials then ejected both, charging Schroder with a Flagrant 2 foul and Tucker a dead-ball technical foul and an ejection.
“First thing was, it was obviously an illegal screen. And it was kind of a bang-bang play,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters after the game. “P.J. obviously after the play was over kind of head-butted Dennis, so they certainly had to eject him, and I didn’t know if they felt like they needed to eject Dennis because they ejected P.J. But it was a very quick, aggressive play, and I understand with P.J. getting thrown out maybe they felt like Dennis needed to be thrown out. But again, it was an illegal screen. I’m not even going to speculate or even know to read Dennis’ mind. It was such a bang-bang play, Dennis was just trying to find a way through the screen and got hung up.”