Zach Beeker/Getty Images

Russell Westbrook Suspended 1 Game for Picking Up 16th Technical Foul of Season

Timothy Rapp

The NBA announced Sunday it would not be rescinding Russell Westbrook's 16th technical foul from Saturday, meaning the Oklahoma City Thunder guard will be suspended for one game.  

Westbrook will serve the suspension Monday against the Miami Heat

Westbrook was called for his 16th technical during the team's 110-88 loss to the Golden State Warriors. After not getting a call on a drive in the second quarter, Westbrook ran up to Klay Thompson and chest-bumped him, earning a foul, before immediately turning to the referee and beginning to argue about the previous non-call. 

The official, in turn, gave him a technical.

"I understand sometimes when those guys are going in there and they're getting hit and they're getting fouled, it's hard," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said after the game, per Royce Young of ESPN.com. "And these guys invest a lot into the game. Obviously, I want Russell playing, and I want him out there, but we'll see what happens and how this all shakes out."

Westbrook, on the other hand, was less interested in talking about the play in question:

It was a tough night for Westbrook, who scored just seven points on a dreadful display from the field (2-of-16) to go along with nine assists and eight boards.

And it's a disappointing development for a 42-28 Thunder team jockeying for postseason position. Oklahoma City is currently fifth in the Western Conference, trailing the Houston Rockets by 1.5 games for the third seed and the Portland Trail Blazers by a half-game for the fourth seed. 

With home-court advantage for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs still up for grabs, missing Westbrook for even one game is a tough blow.

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)