Who are referees in Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic today (November 9 2023)
After finishing 14 games on Wednesday, NBA officials will have a relaxing night as Thursday night has only two games scheduled. The Milwaukee Bucks would face the Indiana Pacers, while the Orlando Magic would face the Atlanta Hawks. Tom Washington and Pat Fraher would be the officials for two separate games.
Washington would be the referee when the Bucks face the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Kevin Cutler has been appointed as the crew chief, while Robert Hussey will be the umpire. For the game between Magic and Hawks in Mexico City Arena, Fraher will be the referee. Courtney Kirkland has been designated for the role of crew chief, while Matt Myers will be the umpire.
Both the Pacers and the Bucks are playing back-to-back games. Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. have improved their record to 5-2. Following a 19-point setback to the Toronto Raptors, they have won three straight games.
On the other hand, the Pacers are placed fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 5-3 record. They are fresh off a commanding 134-118 win over the Utah Jazz.
Both the Hawks and the Magic enter the contest with identical 4-3 records. It would be an exciting game to watch since it would pit offense against defense. While the Hawks have one of the league's best offenses, the Magic have one of the league's best defenses.
NBA Referee explains the reason behind Giannis Antetokounmpo's ejection against the Pistons
Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected in the Bucks’ game against the Detroit Pistons in the early third quarter. He played only 22 minutes in the game before being awarded a second technical, which caused his eventual ejection. Game referee Rodney Mott explained the reason behind Giannis’ ejection.
Mott said that Antetokounmpo received the technical foul in the second quarter because he approached the referee and used profanity for no call on a foul. He was subsequently given a second technical foul in the third quarter for taunting his opponent after dunking on him.
“After the dunk Giannis turns to his opponent and taunts him and a taunting technical foul was called, an unsportsmanlike. And he was ejected from the game, per rule, because two unsportsmanlike technical fouls, you are ejected from the game,” Mott said.
Ejecting a superstar player of Giannis’ caliber is very unusual since they are mostly favored in these situations. A star's ejection takes away the fun of the game, especially for fans who want to watch their favorite players perform.