Warriors star Chris Paul was surprised by calling referee Scott Foster a “bitch” after the veteran referee ejected the point guard in the first half of his return to Phoenix.
Paul, who spent three seasons with the Suns before signing with the Warriors, verbally expressed his displeasure to Foster after receiving a technical foul and quickly received a second one, amounting to an automatic ejection from the game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also received a technical foul for yelling at Foster.
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The Paul-Foster relationship was highly publicized, with the point guard being in the midst of a 13-game playoff losing streak in games where Foster was the head referee.
Paul has publicly criticized the referee in the past, sarcastically claiming that Foster is the one fans “pay to see”.
“You can (communicate) with some of them. You just have to figure out who you can and you can’t,” Paul said in a post-match press conference in 2018.
The Suns would prove too good for the Warriors, winning 123-115. With the loss, Golden State fell to 7-9.
LUKA BAMBOOZLES LEBRON’S CRAZY PASS AS AUSSIE ENJOYS EXHAUSTING FIRST HALF
Dallas star Luka Doncic made one of the craziest plays of the young NBA season, sending a bouncing pass through LeBron James’ legs in the Mavericks’ 104-101 win over the LA Lakers.
The pass would be received by Australian Josh Green, who, even after throwing the ball, hit a corner three.
Green had arguably his best game of the season, scoring 15 points, including 12 in the first half.
But no bucket was as impressive as that three-pointer, with the degree of difficulty of Doncic’s assist immeasurable.
Green’s Australian teammate, Dante Exum, played nine minutes on the court in the Mavs’ victory, scoring four points coming off the bench.
Doncic finished the game with a near triple-double (30 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists), while LeBron continued his strong season with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
AUSSIE JOE SHINES AS A CHAMPION IN MAGIC DEFENDER
A day after fooling several defenders with a nifty move in Orlando’s big win over the Raptors, Joe Ingles and the in-form Magic were back, this time with the much stricter assignment of the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
Ingles has made a huge impact as a veteran on this young Magic team in more ways than one. Against the Nuggets, he was going to have to contribute massively off the bench for Orlando to stay with them.
He certainly did, scoring 12 points on perfect 4/4 shooting and seven assists as the Magic mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Nuggets 124-119.
Showcasing an array of silky skills, pinpoint passing and solid defense, Ingles did it all, recording a team-high plus/minus 9.
Ingles now has a plus/minus figure of 75 for the season, putting him in the top 30 in the league in that category. That’s pretty good considering his limited minutes off the bench.
Denver star Nikola Jokic was keen to redeem himself after getting ejected in the Nuggets’ last game, and he did so with a huge 30-point triple double.
The Magic were down by nine points in the fourth quarter, but managed to rally back and record their tenth win of the season.
YOUNG STEALS THE SHOW IN EPIC OVERTIME DISPLAY
Trae Young made what would have been a game-winning free throw late in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his team’s 16 points in the ensuing overtime of the Hawks’ 147-145 win over the Nets. Brooklyn.
Young finished the game with 43 points, but he came alive in overtime, taking over the game and appearing to hit everything. It was a sensational scoring burst from one of the best attacking backs in the league.
He was engaged in a duel with Nets guard Mikal Bridges, who totaled 45 points and ten rebounds.
It was essentially a one-on-one match between Young and Bridges in overtime, with both players trading buckets in an entertaining contest.
Although Atlanta has one of the most potent offenses in the NBA, they somehow have to account for their poor defense.
Against the Pacers on Wednesday (AEDT), the Hawks gave up 157 points before letting the Nets put up 145 just 24 hours later.
Either way, the win against the Nets is one the Hawks will take, as it ended a three-game losing streak.
NBA Wrap: Lebron’s points record | 02:03
CELTICS SURVIVE DELAY TO BUCKS IN EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE
Despite leading by as many as 20 points at home, the Celtics only narrowly managed to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-116 at TD Garden, increasing their margin at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Celtics appeared to be cruising throughout the second and third quarters, before Milwaukee rallied in the fourth to get within three points after a Damian Lillard triple with 44 seconds left.
However, the Celtics will hold their nerve in the final minute and improve to 12-3 on the season, while the Bucks (10-5) will fall to within two games of Boston in the East.
Boston’s big three, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum, who was doubtful to play due to illness, all had good outings.
NBA SCORES ON NOVEMBER 23
Wizards 114 @ Hornets 117
Nuggets 119 @ Magic 124
Bucks 116 @ Celtics 119
Heat 129 @ Cavaliers 96
Raptors 132 @ Pacers 131
Nets 145 @ Hawks 147 (OT)
Grizzlies 91 @ Rockets 111
76ers 99 @Timberwolves 112
Kings 112 @ Pelicans 117
Clippers 109 @ Spurs 102
Bulls 102 @ Thunder 116
Warriors 115 @ Suns 123
Mavericks 104 @ Lakers 101
Jazz 105 @ Trail Blazers 121
