NBA accepts mistake, says Blake Griffin shouldn't have been ejected

Blake Griffin was wrongly ejected.

NBA(National Basketball Association) has accepted that its referees made a mistake when they ejected Los Angeles forward Blake Griffin during the Clippers’ 105-103 loss at Golden State on Wednesday. Griffin was adjudged to have committed his second technical foul with 10:43 left on the clock, after scuffling with Andrew Bogut, following Warriors forward Draymond Green to the showers after they got into it at the end of the third.

Rod Thorn, the NBA’s president of basketball operations, said:

“After a league review of the Clippers-Warriors game, we have come to the conclusion that Blake Griffin should not have been ejected from the game.”

“A common foul should have been called on Griffin for initially attempting to dislodge the Warriors’ Andrew Bogut and a technical foul should have been assessed to Bogut for grabbing Griffin by the shirt and wrestling with him.” 

The ejection of Griffin hurt the clippers, with them missing many key chances in the waning moments of the game.

Griffin said:

“If you look at it, I didn’t do anything and I got thrown out of the game. It all boils down to they (referees) fell for it.”

“To me, it’s cowardly basketball. I don’t know their intentions, but it worked. … If I knew the answer I’d probably be in a different position. Tonight I got two technicals for nothing.” 

The NBA further fined Green $15,000 for failing to leave the court in timely manner after his ejection.