Kevin Durant ejected for flagrant foul late in Thunder's Game 4 win
Kevin Durant was ejected for committing a flagrant foul on the Mavericks' Justin Anderson in the final minute of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 119-108 Game 4 win at Dallas on Saturday night.
Durant was assessed a Flagrant-2 for making contact above the neck. It was the second ejection in Durant's career and the latest flare-up in the testy series, which the Thunder lead 3-1. Dallas team security had to make sure Durant didn't leave the court in front of the Mavericks bench.
Durant finished with 19 points, snapping a streak of 67 games in which he scored 20 or more.
Afterward, Durant admitted the foul was flagrant but said it wasn't intentional. "It was just bad timing. I wasn't trying to hurt him," Durant said, adding that he texted an apology to Anderson, who went to the same prep school.
"No one's dirty," he added, though "I know Carlisle and Mark Cuban will tell you guys that."
Durant on the chippy play: "No one's dirty, (even though) I know Carlisle and Mark Cuban will tell you guys that" pic.twitter.com/YIdv1T7tLg
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 24, 2016
To prove there was no bad blood, Durant and Anderson smilled and shook hands in the hallway and then took a picture with their high school coach.
No hard feelings? Justin Anderson and Kevin Durant shake hands after game while reuniting with HS coach Stu Vetter. pic.twitter.com/ejr98wKqrC
— Damon R. Marx (@DamonMarxDMN) April 24, 2016
Russell Westbrook had 25 points and 15 assists and Enes Kanter had his second straight playoff career high with 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting.
After Dallas coach Rick Carlisle called out Durant while complaining during the off day over what he essentially said were dirty plays by the Thunder in Game 3, the teams had a confrontation in front of the Oklahoma City bench early in the second quarter.
That flare-up started when Anthony Morrow, who was sitting on the bench, refused to give the ball to Salah Mejri after the Thunder threw it out of bounds.
Dallas guard J.J. Barea confronted Morrow, a former Maverick who then shoved Barea. Westbrook and Mejri ended up nose-to-nose in a shouting match before all the players were separated by coaches and officials.
Westbrook and Mejri got double technicals, and the Thunder were called for delay of game.
In the second half, Westbrook appeared to shout an expletive toward the fans after getting tangled up with Mejri on a drive. Mejri, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a right hip injury, was called for a foul.
And then came the foul on Durant, whose swung his arm and hit Anderson in the head when the Dallas guard was driving along the baseline with 50 seconds remaining. Just 30 seconds later, Serge Ibaka got a technical for throwing an elbow at Charlie Villanueva.
The NBA apparently agreed with Carlisle's assessment that Durant threw an elbow at Mejri in Game 3, giving the Oklahoma City star a technical after the fact. Carlisle said there were three other "non-basketball physical escalations that were initiated by them."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NBA flagrant foul rules indicate Durant could be out for Game 5, pending league office review. pic.twitter.com/gai5djVvzU
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) April 24, 2016
