The uncharacteristic rut of the Boston Celtics continues as they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. To make things stranger, Kemba Walker was ejected out of his first NBA game after being taken down by a LaMarcus Aldridge screen.
Celtics fans and Kemba Walker fans who have known and followed the star guard his entire career were surprised that the guard was ejected. However, the head referee of the officiating team that saw Walker get ejected for the first time in his career explained their side of the story.
ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly published a copy of the press pool report to try and make fans see why they felt it compelling to slap Walker with two technicals.
NBA Referee Rodney Mott on the ejection of Kemba Walker in tonight's Celtics-Spurs game: pic.twitter.com/B5Eyn1YSIy
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 9, 2020
Rodney Mott, the crew chief of the game, explained that Walker was ejected due to his poor conduct in front of game officials.
“Per rule, Kemba Walker used profanity towards an official which led to the first technical foul,” Mott said.
He was asked about if the same offense caused Walker's ejection from the game as well. Mott responded positively.
“The same,” he said. “He continued to use profanity and was given a second technical foul and ejected.”
However, Mott explained that the LaMarcus Aldridge screen that sent him to the ground understandably made him lose his cool.
“In real-time, it's a difficult play,” Mott said of the screen. “But we deem te screen to be legal, as LaMarcus was set.”
Walker never got going in the game, finishing with only six points, three rebounds, and four assists to his name in 17 minutes of action. The Celtics didn't fare well, either: the C's never saw the lead change in their favor the entire game,
