'They were ready to throw me out' – Tatum stunned by ejection as Celtics edge past Sixers
Harry Carr
December 2, 2023 02:14 MYT
December 2, 2023 02:14 MYT
Jayson Tatum was perplexed by the decision to eject him from the Boston Celtics' win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, claiming the officials were "ready" to throw him out of the game.
Tatum was ejected with just two seconds to play in the third quarter after he caught Robert Covington in the face with a flailing arm near the sideline.
The foul was upgraded to a flagrant one upon review, with the four-time All-Star subsequently remonstrating with referee Nick Buchert and interrupting the officials' huddle, which saw him awarded his second technical foul of the game.
A series of Covington free throws saw the Sixers take the lead after Tatum's dismissal, but the Celtics rallied for their third win in a row as Al Horford and Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points apiece.
Tatum was still stunned by the call to dismiss him when conducting his post-game media duties, saying of the officials: "They were ready to throw me out. Did I cuss? No, I didn't. I was shocked.
"They always say, 'get your money's worth. You're going to get fined.' I definitely did not get my money's worth!
"I was extremely surprised. You all saw what happened. You might not know what I said, but I mean, I guess whatever I said doesn't matter at this point. I don't agree with that.
Derrick White and the @celtics pull out the W in a battle between two of the East's top teams! Jayson Tatum: 21 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST Jaylen Brown: 20 PTS, 4 REB, 4 STL Al Horford: 20 PTS (7/9 FGM), 6 REB pic.twitter.com/ylW8eoRAuR — NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2023
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"One of the assistant coaches was there with me, he doesn't agree. But it doesn't really matter, right? When they throw you out, they throw you out.
"Even if I was right, you know, they could go back and talk about it after the game. It's not like we get that game back, I don't get that time back.
"It's unfortunate, but like I said, I can't change what happened, just how players compete and affect the game.
"The refs have an effect on the game. They threw me out, and right or wrong, it's their word against ours. I can't get that time back."
Tatum had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes on the court. Despite his ejection, the Sixers struggled without reigning MVP Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey as Boston improved to a league-best 15-4.
“At that point in time, we could've folded or found an excuse. Our group rallied together and understood that we needed to keep competing and find a way to win.” Our guys dug deep after JT’s 3rd-quarter exit and pulled out another crunch-time W.https://t.co/4WlQ7SHHYR — Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 2, 2023
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Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla did not mind Tatum showing some fight, declaring: "I actually like it, I think some of that is important.
"Obviously, you don't want it to get in the way of winning. But I think that type of passion and caring… I'd rather see that than nothing at all."
The Celtics will look to stretch their winning streak to four games when they go on the road to face the Indiana Pacers on Monday, before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers for back-to-back games the following week.