Kevin Durant, Ja Morant react to comical technical foul called on Jayson Tatum
BOSTON -- Jayson Tatum has a slight reputation for having a penchant for arguing with referees. While he certainly has gotten in the ear of a referee or two during his career, one moment on Monday night was not one of those times.
During the Celtics' game against the Thunder, Tatum reacted in frustration after committing a foul, clapping his hands together and looking up to the sky. Feeling personally offended by this move, referee John Goble assessed a technical foul to Tatum.
Even by NBA standards, it was incredible.
Jayson Tatum was called for a technical foul on this play. pic.twitter.com/vqFDG74hfj
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 15, 2022
While Celtics fans (and broadcasters) couldn't believe it, neither could fellow NBA stars.
"Jayson Tatum just received the worst tech I've seen in the NBA in a while," Kevin Durant tweeted. "I'm actually laughing."
Grizzlies star Ja Morant was watching too, and also couldn't believe it.
😂 nah fr https://t.co/p9j0pEU1ki
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) November 15, 2022
Despite the tech, Tatum was able to have another excellent game, scoring 27 points with 10 rebounds in the Celtics' 126-122 victory over Oklahoma City. It was Boston's seventh straight victory to improve to an NBA best 11-3, with Tatum averaging 33.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game during that streak.
"I think I just missed a layup and I just committed a foul," Tatum said with a smile after the game. "So I was like, anybody in the arena, anybody watching the game could've seen that I was frustrated with myself. I didn't say anything, I didn't look at him. So you know, after the game, you just laugh it off when you see it."
Certainly, Tatum wasn't alone in doing that.
UPDATE: The NBA has done the right thing and rescinded the technical foul.