A frustrated Devin Booker said just the right things to earn the ire of two different referees. Just seconds apart. Which seems a pretty soft reason to toss a guy, but there have been a few of those ejections lately.
The Suns’ guard was ejected for two rapid-fire technicals from two different officials in the third quarter.
The Lakers and Suns had been playing an entertaining, fairly intense midseason game when the referees injected themselves into the show. Just before Booker’s ejection, both LeBron James and Lakers’ coach Frank Vogel got virtually simultaneous technicals for arguing a no-call on Chris Paul.
When the Lakers got the ball, LeBron attacked the rim and drew a foul on DeAndre Ayton. The Suns didn’t like the call and Booker clearly said something that earned him his first technical.
The second one came a few seconds later. While it looked like it could be for a firm bounce pass, lead official Mark Davis said after the game Booker was ejected for language directed at the referee.
Devin Booker gets ejected after bouncing the ball at a ref 👀 pic.twitter.com/kEj0hoMRNz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2021
It happened so fast the broadcasters were confused as to what took place.
NBA Referee Marc Davis Comments to a pool reporter after Suns-Lakers game: pic.twitter.com/vBr8CyJclb
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) March 3, 2021
Jae Crowder on Devin Booker's ejection: "Devin was disputing his first technical." Said he didn't like the first one and voiced his opinion about it. Crowder tried to step in but it was too late
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) March 3, 2021
Booker was ejected with the Suns up by five, and it was a night where Chris Paul shot just 1-of-4, but in a sign of how much the Suns have grown they pulled away in the fourth for a 114-104 win on the Lakers home court. Booker finished the game with 17 points.