PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker played all but half a quarter before being ejected from last night’s win over the Detroit Pistons.
Booker received two technical fouls for comments made towards officials, which saw him booted from action.
Suns coach Frank Vogel – who was understandably irate – also received a technical in the process.
“They just said they asked him to stop whatever his complaint was and they (gave Booker a technical foul) and then he said something else to the other official and they ran him out,” Vogel said after the game (h/t Duane Rankin).
“Just freaking ridiculous. It was total BS to take the star player out of the game. I’ve seen worse than what he did on a nightly basis. Not that, I’ve seen it before, I see it every night. Unprecedented.”
The night got off to an interesting start even before action began, as Isaiah Stewart and Drew Eubanks got into an altercation in the arena prior to the game.
Suns forward Kevin Durant believes the officials were trying to compensate.
“I guess he said something that ticked the ref off, but they were on edge before the game anyway because of the situation,” Durant said.
“(The referees) didn’t want it things to escalate, they thought it might escalate with our team and theirs, but that’s not even the type of team we are. We just try to go out there and talk with our game. You saw it early on. They were trying to just let us know that they are going to control the game. I can understand that. I can see it from their perspective, but I just think that was too quick of a tech, both of them.
“Pool reporter Kellan Olson spoke with the officials after the game, who insisted the pre-game events had nothing to do with how in-game action was called.
“Those are good officials that were on the game tonight, but that was certainly uncalled for and BS,” said Vogel.
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