NBA referee James Williams did not approve of Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young's actions that led to his ejection from Tuesday's 120-95 play-in tournament defeat to the Orlando Magic.
Young was ejected after receiving two unsportsmanlike technical fouls in succession during the fourth quarter. He was handed the first one for throwing the ball at Williams after a layup, then was given the second for kicking the ball away from a different game official.
"He received his second unsportsmanlike technical foul for kicking the ball away and making a mockery of the game as we were attempting to shoot the free throw for the first technical foul," Williams said in the postgame pool report interview.
Players are ejected after receiving two technical fouls in a game.
Young finished with 28 points and six assists before exiting the contest.
"Sometimes when I take my frustration out on the refs it's not just for me," Young said, according Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. "It's for my teammates. I see Dyson Daniels going; he may not be a household name yet, but he deserves the same amount of respect as some of these other guys. If you see a foul, you should call a foul. That's pretty much all it was for me."
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said Young addressed the team after the game, emphasizing his need for keeping his composure, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"He's quick to own that," Snyder said, per Williams. "But the game was out of hand at that point. But again, this is playoff basketball, there's going to be adversity. We have to continue to handle it in a way that can power through some of that."
The Hawks can still advance to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with a victory against the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat on Friday.
