The New Orleans Pelicans had their work cut out for them on Wednesday, as they were taking on the Boston Celtics without star player Zion Williamson.
Everyone knows just how powerful and intimidating the Celtics are, they’re the best team in the league after all.
So beating them without Williamson was a tall order.
That means that every possession counts – and so does every foul too.
This is a ridiculous technical foul, @OfficialNBARefs.
The @NBA should revise the type of behavior refs are empowered to blow the whistle over. Stopping the game for this hurts the product and makes the sport less enjoyable for the fans. pic.twitter.com/vnLyH5P8AY
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 12, 2023
One particular foul had a lot of Pelicans fans up in arms and furious at the referees.
During the third quarter, Jose Alvarado received a technical foul after allegedly taunting the official and Celtics player Luke Kornet.
Following a drive to the basket and an easy lay-up, Alvarado pointed at Kornet with a “gun-like” gesture.
That was enough for him to get called for the tech, a move that he immediately protested.
Fans on the internet were upset right away and protested the call, as did some media figures and NBA analysts.
But the call stood and it only added to the final 125-114 win for Boston.
The undeniable truth is that refs are free to call the game as they see it and they have the final say on what is and what isn’t a foul.
So even though millions of people thought that this call was drastic and over-the-top, it stood no chance of changing.
Over the years, there have been many technical fouls met with serious protests from players, fans, and coaches.
But they are rarely overturned and a technical foul almost always stands.
Some people say that handing out these sorts of fouls for even the smallest infraction is hurting the game, slowing it down, and upsetting loyal viewers.
But no one should expect the league to change how refs call these any time soon.
NEXT: NBA Insider Gives A Tentative Update On Zion Williamson