The NBA announced Tuesday that Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard has been suspended for one game, this after making contact with a referee in Saturday’s 123-122 loss to the visiting Washington Wizards.
The big fella had gotten into a shoving match with Wizards center Nene, and was subsequently booted from the game.
Rockets head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $10,000 for blasting the refs in his postgame comments.
The video shows an official signal a double foul. None was called. T is called much later than the shove, which officials said earned the T.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) February 2, 2016
No matter what anyone thinks of Howard's technicals on Sat. or his suspension, all 3 indicate simple guideline: keep your hands to yourself.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) February 2, 2016
Rockets have saved $725k in tax penalties with the Lawson and Howard suspensions this year.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 2, 2016
Per the AP:
Howard was ejected after getting his second technical of the night with 8:08 left in the fourth after pushing Nene while the two tangled under the basket. Nene was also ejected for a double technical on the play.
Howard was whistled for his first technical after putting his hands on the back of Chris Dudley’s neck following Dudley’s flagrant foul in what appeared to be a joking manner. Howard had been ejected from Friday’s game, too, and has 12 technical fouls this season.
“These referees need to be held accountable for letting people attack Dwight and be that physical with him,” Bickerstaff said afterward. “And dirty. It’s not physical. If they let Dwight be physical and the game be clean, that’s one thing. But, they’re not clean with the way they play. We don’t mind being physical. We’re not afraid of that, but cheap is one thing. Playing to grab somebody’s shoulders. Grab somebody’s arms. That’s not clean basketball.”
