Russell Westbrook is probably going to want that one back.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star got more than a little heated during Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, reacting to an awkward missed field goal attempt by slamming his body into Klay Thompson, who had been guarding him pretty closely.
Westbrook was then hit with one of the least surprising technical fouls you will see this season. That was a costly foul for the Thunder, which was down 13 late in the second quarter, but it could be even more costly next game.
That was Westbrook’s 16th tech of the season, and NBA rules dictate that a player receive a one-game suspension once he hits that mark. The league could always rescind the suspension, but the clearness of the tech and Westbrook’s past propensity for technical fouls might make that a tough ask.
Westbrook was hit with a $25,000 fine by the league earlier this week after verbally confronting a Utah Jazz fan, though he received widespread support following the incident.
While the Thunder are safely in the playoff picture, they are still battling it out with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers for home court advantage in the first round, so even one game without Westbrook could be costly. Fortunately, the Thunder’s next game is Monday against the 32-36 Miami Heat, which wouldn’t be the worst team to take on without your star point guard.
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