Hawks guard Trae Young was ejected after a second technical foul in the third quarter of Atlanta's, 123-118, win Sunday in Chicago.
Nearing the end of the first quarter, Young and Bulls guard Kris Dunn traded shots that resulted in technicals for both players.
Replay Review (Game Crew): player altercation in Q1 of #ATLatCHI. Ruling: Double technical foul assessed to Young and Dunn. pic.twitter.com/jx9CIUMqQ2
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) March 3, 2019
Midway through the third quarter, Young pulled up for a 3-point shot to make it 78-62, then stared at Dunn with his hands on his hips. That resulted in his second technical of the game and the ejection.
NBA Crew Chief Mark Ayotte explained to pool reporter after the game that Young “stared down his opponent and was issued a taunting technical foul.”
Asked if taunting could be confused with celebrating, Ayotte clarified: “Taunting is directed at an opponent specifically. Celebration is not directed at an opponent.”
That didn’t sit well with everyone. NBA Hall of Fame and TV analyst Reggie Miller said on Twitter: “What’s happened to my beloved NBA game? So damn SOFT and SENSITIVE now, nooooo way Trae Young should be given a technical for this.. I would have been broke and out of the league in 2 years”
What’s happened to my beloved NBA game? So damn SOFT and SENSITIVE now, nooooo way Trae Young should be given a technical for this.. I would have been broke and out of the league in 2 years 😏🤔🙄... #LetBallersBall pic.twitter.com/0eKlxOCx8V
— Reggie Miller (@ReggieMillerTNT) March 3, 2019
Dunn, reportedly, didn’t see the taunting.
Kris Dunn, the player supposedly being taunted by Trae Young, on Young's second technical: "I didn't even know [it] happened. I don't feel he should've been ejected, to be honest." #Bulls #Hawks
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) March 3, 2019
Twitter rallied behind Young, calling the judgement foul bogus:
How do you get ejected for this!
— Carl Dukes (@putemupcdukes) March 3, 2019
How??#NBA
No words. No Punches. No Nothing #TrueToAtlanta
.@TheTraeYoung
Keep Ballin! https://t.co/dlPZT2BkQ2
@OfficialNBARefs so let me get this straight @TheTraeYoung gets slapped in the back of the head and receives a tech because he got hit. Then gets his 2nd tech and is ejected from the game because he looked at kris Dunn after hitting a deep 3 pointer?
— ©hris Peters (@theycallme_Cp3) March 3, 2019
Trae Young was just ejected for THIS...staring down Dunn after hitting a 3. Boy I tell ya...this officiating is something else!! 😵 https://t.co/I7My2lmMkC
— Antonio Daniels (@adaniels33) March 3, 2019
So first the officials somehow decided the first sequence warranted a double tech and then they later ejected Trae Young for staring down Kris Dunn? Fans don't pay to watch refs toss out players for being petty. What an absolute joke. #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/OoCL18vZPl
— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) March 3, 2019
Ejected for a stare-down? Really? https://t.co/AF93vswos7
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) March 3, 2019
Young, of his part, summarized the play: “I ‘try to’ play with emotion, passion, effort, and a little bit of flair within the game of Basketball... that’s all I’ve ever tried to do, and that’s the only way I know how.”
I “try to” play with emotion, passion, effort, and a little bit of flair within the game of Basketball... that’s all I’ve ever tried to do, and that’s the only way I know how🙏🏽❄️ #AnotherDayAnotherOpportunity
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 3, 2019
The Hawks play at Miami Monday night.
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