It is not the first time that Joakim Noah has been in trouble with the NBA, and it is unlikely to be the last, but he was ejected from another game, and fined for what happened afterward.
Noah was ejected from the previous game between the Bulls and the Sacramento Kings, which took place in Sacramento on Monday night. The Bulls have had a disappointing season, and Joakim Noah let his temper get the best of him, and it cost him.
He was called for a foul that he felt that he didn’t deserve, and became extremely vocal about it, resulting in his ejection. In addition, Joakim Noah has received a hefty fine of $15,000 from the NBA.
He is a center for the Chicago Bulls, a team that has struggled since the loss of their star point guard Derrick Rose. The play that resulted in Joakim Noah’s rejection came when Marcus Thornton of the Kings launched a three-pointer from the left corner, and Noah was called for a foul as he battled with DeMarcus Cousins for rebounding position.
The replays immediately concluded that the foul was wrongly called, and Noah erupted with frustration and confusion, as did most of his teammates on the bench, although he let himself get a bit too vocal.
Joakim Noah later admitted that his beahvior was wrong in an interview when he said that was disappointed, and apologized to the refs. He also said “I think I was just frustrated with the game. I was frustrated with the call, but it doesn’t give me the right to do what I did. I deserve to get ejected, and it was just a bad decision on my part.’’
He was seen pointing his finger directly at one referee, and shouting profanities at his face. After that, he proceeded to point and scream at the other referees, and his teammate Carlos Boozer, along with an official, were forced remove him from the court, and direct him toward the locker room.
Sacramento went on to easily win the game 99-70, and held the Bulls to only 13 points in the 4th quarter. Noah was ejected at the 7:40 mark in the third quarter, and the Bulls were unable to find a way to win, even when playing the worst team in the western conference.
The loss puts the Chicago Bulls at 6th place in their conference with a record of 23-24. Despite Joakim Noah’s ejection and fine, he was still able to play in their next game against the Phoenix Suns.
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