Minnesota’s J.J. Barea was ejected from his team’s loss to the Heat Monday night when he essentially ran up and checked Ray Allen to the ground. Which it turns out is illegal in basketball (for those of you, fans and media alike, who struggle with the differences between hockey and basketball).
The play started with Ray Allen trying to create some space for himself out high and pushing the smaller Barea back. My first impression is Barea (who has been fined by the NBA for flopping this season) was trying to sell that a little with his reaction. But he apparently took offense and charged Allen and knocked him to the ground. The foul was called, Allen popped back up ready to go and words were exchanged. Notice that Chris Andersen is the first person in as the peacemaker, just as you would expect.
The referees gave Barea a flagrant two foul, which means they saw it as “unnecessary and excessive,” and that foul means automatic ejection. After reviewing the play, the call stood. Barea said after the game Ray Allen was overreacting, according to the Star-Tribune.
Unless the league comes in and changes the call to a flagrant one — which seems unlikely after watching the play — it will mean at least a one game suspension for Barea.