Dwight Howard is clearly frustrated.
The Hawks center was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter after game officials reviewed contact between him and Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic.
Referee Marc Davis questioned whether there was a “hostile act” when Howard’s arm went behind him after he followed a shot attempt in close to the basket. Nurkic fell to the ground. Davis ruled a technical foul citing Howard “flailed” his arm and made contact in a “physical taunt.”
Howard now has 12 technical fouls on the season. A player is suspended for one game when he reaches 16.
Here is the transcript from Howard following the game, a 113-97 Hawks loss.
On the technical foul
“I just think it was B.S. to be honest with you. I can’t sit up here and sugarcoat it. Player taunting. Me hitting someone in the chest. It shouldn’t be even reviewed. It should be going down on the next play and getting ready to play defense. Instead it was reviewed and said that I hit him in the face. You go look at the replay and it’s nowhere near his face. I don’t like it. Everybody should be treated the same way on the floor. No matter how strong you are, big you are, small you are, whatever it is. It’s NBA. It’s no boys allowed. We are all grown men out there. You have to be able to play out there.”
On referee’s explanation
“He said ‘If you would have hit him in the face than it would have been some more.’ I said ‘I didn’t hit him in the face.’ It didn’t make sense to me. (Nurkic) did a good job of acting it out. He should find a way to make it to Hollywood. Or they are doing films in Atlanta now. He can find a good film right here and do some acting. That’s what it was.”
On frustration of second such technical foul
“It’s always frustrating. If I’m on one end and somebody hacks me and they say it’s a regular foul. I come on the other end and I barely hit somebody and it’s reviewed and looked at like I was trying to hurt someone out there on the floor. It is frustrating and you can’t use the excuse that you are bigger than everybody. Guys are taller than me. That’s just an excuse and it’s got to stop at some point.”
About the Author
