JJ Redick got tossed from a game in bizarre fashion after what looked like a routine pass to the ref. It started with a questionable foul call where Redick didn’t make much contact. He was frustrated but stayed composed. Then came a sequence where he thought an off-ball foul should’ve been called, and he let the ref know. That earned him his first technical for what the ref said was profanity. Redick looked annoyed but held it together.
On the following possession, Redick drew a foul and tossed the ball to the ref. He added some spin to it, and the ref, caught off guard and not looking, fumbled the catch. Embarrassed, the ref called a second technical and ejected Redick. Redick was stunned, saying he didn’t mean anything by the pass. The official reason given was that he passed the ball “with force.” Redick insisted he was just giving it a spin, not trying to show anyone up.
The whole situation looked like a ref overreacting to being embarrassed. The commentary pointed out the referee’s struggles with the pass and joked that’s why he wasn’t a player. The whistle he used also caught some attention for its odd, oversized look. In the end, Redick walked off early for what most fans would call a soft ejection.