NBA officiating post-game pool report: “Why was Jokić not called for a technical foul for the post-whistle contact before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander threw the ball at him?” - Crew chief Williams reply: “We did not believe the contact by Jokić’s left forearm rose to the level of an unsportsmanlike act”
The NBA releases a “pool” report after games which addresses some questions that may arise about officiating decisions during the game.
QUESTION: Why was [Nikola] Jokić not called for a technical foul for the post-whistle contact before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander threw the ball at him in the first quarter?
WILLIAMS: We did not believe the contact by Jokić’s left forearm rose to the level of an unsportsmanlike act, therefore he was not assessed a technical foul.
QUESTION: Why was [Luguentz] Dort’s foul upgraded to a flagrant 2?
WILLIAMS: Lu Dort was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 2 because we deemed his contact on Jokić to be unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury, and also because the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve. So, by rule, a flagrant foul penalty 2 carries an automatic ejection.
QUESTION: Why was the physical confrontation between [Nikola] Jokić and [Jaylin] Williams not deemed worthy of an ejection for either player?
WILLIAMS: When we reviewed that play, we did not see any actions by either player that would have risen to the level of an ejection, which is why both players received unsportsmanlike technical fouls that were offset.