Utah Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert conversating in-game (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)
SALT LAKE CITY — Three Utah Jazz players were kicked out at a Jazz game against the Indiana Pacers Thursday night. A Pacers player was also thrown out.
The scuffle began with Pacers player Myles Turner blocking a shot by Rudy Gobert early in the fourth quarter.
Gobert went to the ground, thinking he should have been fouled, and pulled Turner down with him.
“It was a technical foul. I just grabbed him, made sure that he couldn’t do anything else, and waited to see what was going to happen,” Gobert said in a post-game interview.
Once the two players stood back up, there was some shoving, and then they basically started wrestling.
In Turner’s opinion, tension had been slowly building throughout the entire game.
“When he pulled my shorts, I wasn’t about to have that,” explained Turner. “I had to stand up for myself in that situation. I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
Courtside security, referees, and players from both teams rushed to break things up.
Once the players were separated, officials ejected Gobert and Turner.
As the crowd inside Vivint Arena booed and jeered, the refs then tossed out Joe Ingles and Donovan Mitchell. They said Ingles had pushed an official during the skirmish and Mitchell was still walking toward the Indiana bench after refs had ordered him to calm down.
After the game, Mitchell said officials have been slow and inconsistent in calling fouls this season.
“It’s really at a point now where the referees are allowing…this to get out of hand,” said the Spida. “You gotta draw the line early. Otherwise, you’re going to get situations like that.”
Gobert had similar feelings.
“The officials keep doing what they’ve been doing over this season. They allow guys to do way too much [expletive] and I’m not going to fight on the basketball court,” said Gobert.
The Jazz lost to the Pacers with a final score of 111 to 100.
For a full breakdown of the scuffle and the game, visit KSLSPORTS.com.
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