NEWSLETTER
During the fourth quarter of a chippy game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Nikola Vucevic took things a step too far.
With AJ Green driving to the basket, Vooch stepped in front of the guard and went for the hard contest. The big man missed the ball and threw Green to the ground, quickly triggering a whistle from the referee.
The refs went to review the call after having to separate Vucevic and former Bull Patrick Beverley, who came to his teammate’s defense. The officials would ultimately call a flagrant two, which meant Vucevic would be ejected from the game.
Take a look at the moment here:
Look, there is no denying that this was excessive from Vucevic. But I also can’t help but point fingers at the refs for letting things get to this point. The physicality had escalated since opening tip-off, and the whistle felt far from fair.
The play right before Nikola Vucevic’s ejection appeared to be a foul on Bobby Portis. The big man tried to back down Portis in the post, who reached in and shoved him multiple times.
Take a peek:
Again, does this justify Vucevic’s response? Not necessarily. But I can understand why the tension was high. Every time the Bucks brought the physicality, the refs stayed quiet. However, the moment the Bulls would try to do the same, they’d pay the penalty.
Frustrating stuff.
