The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without Russell Westbrook when they take on the Miami Heat on Monday. Star guard Russell Westbrook has officially been suspended by the NBA after amassing his 16th technical foul in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
Westbrook picked up a tech following a play late in the second quarter. Frustrated a foul wasn’t called on the other end, Westbrook took a frustration foul on Klay Thompson, then proceeded to chirp at ref Tyler Ford. That gave Westbrook the magic technical foul.
The real problem is with the playoffs. The way the NBA rules are set up now, Westbrook could be bumping up against missing playoff games if he continues to rack up technical fouls the way he’s done in the regular season. Seven techs in the playoffs starts a new series of suspensions.
That could seriously hinder the OKC, who are currently fifth in the Western Conference, just behind the Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook isn’t typically one to change his behaviors — shooting or otherwise — in the face of what’s best for his team, but perhaps he’ll be a bit cooler once the postseason starts.