Kofi Inkoom
The Boston Celtics had a hard-fought 125-119 win on Friday night against the Philadelphia Sixers led by Pat Beverley’s electric performance.
Jayson Tatum got ejected for arguing with the refs, but Al Horford stepped up, owning the fourth quarter and helping the Celtics secure their third straight home court victory.
Tatum, talking to the press after the game, said, “As players, we impact the game, and so do the refs. They kicked me out, right or wrong, it’s their word against ours. I can’t get that time back.”
He emphasized that there was no bad language involved, just a conversation with the referee Bill Kennedy.
He was surprised that other officials ejected him while he was talking to Kennedy, and he felt he didn’t get his money’s worth for the ejection.
Tatum clarified, “Again, I wasn’t that f-cking mad. Don’t put that narrative out there. I didn’t throw nothing. I said what I said. There was no magic words.”
Before the ejection, Tatum got a technical foul in the first quarter. Despite his 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, he also had seven turnovers.
In a play during the third quarter, he lost control of the ball, fouled Robert Covington, and argued with the referees, leading to his ejection.
After a review, the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1. This allowed the Sixers to tie the score at 95-all with a free throw from Covington.
Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla reacted with humor, saying, “I smiled, gave him a hug, laughed it off.”