Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle had a little temper tantrum in the first quarter of Thursday night's playoff game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Carlisle ran onto the court in the middle of live action to scream at the referee about an offensive interference play by the Thunder that was not called, drawing a technical foul on himself.
Carlisle had a legitimate beef, as the video of the previous offensive play by the Thunder clearly shows Kevin Durant tipping the ball into the hoop while it was still above the rim, so the officials did miss the call. However, as commentators pointed out, Carlisle's tantrum was likely also a strategic move to motivate his players.
Unfortunately, it was not enough to rally the Mavericks, who lost the game 95-79 to go down in the series 3-0.
NBA/TNT video via Sports Grid. H/T Sports Grid.
Carlisle had a legitimate beef, as the video of the previous offensive play by the Thunder clearly shows Kevin Durant tipping the ball into the hoop while it was still above the rim, so the officials did miss the call. However, as commentators pointed out, Carlisle's tantrum was likely also a strategic move to motivate his players.
Unfortunately, it was not enough to rally the Mavericks, who lost the game 95-79 to go down in the series 3-0.
NBA/TNT video via Sports Grid. H/T Sports Grid.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
