NBA Upgrades Mario Chalmers Neck Grab to a Fragrant Foul (Video)

Game 2 of the Chicago Bulls series against the Miami Heat got testy on Wednesday as both Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson were tossed from the game after emotions boiled over. But the build up to those eventual ejections started back in the third quarter when Heat guard Mario Chalmers tried to take on a giant when he grabbed Joakim Noah’s neck, drawing a technical foul. The NBA announced on Friday that the technical foul handed to Chalmers has been upgraded to a flagrant foul.

But while the MLB is getting blasted for blowing calls, the NBA is trying to skirt by on this one despite the fact it’s another example of a professional official blowing a call in a game.

The technical foul gave the Bulls a free shot, but had the call been correctly made on the court and had a flagrant foul been given rather than a technical foul, Chalmers would have been immediately ejected from the game.

Rather, Chalmers was allowed to stay in the game and while he only scored 11 points in the blowout, the ejection could have shifted the momentum to the Bulls side of the court and potentially given them the energy to get back into a game that was still winnable at that point.

Chalmers’ neck grab on Noah will something that is likely brought up by Bulls fans inside the United Center on Friday night, especially if Chalmers chokes. But with the series tied 1-1, things are likely going to get even more physical as the Heat know that one dirty play that knocks a player out for Chicago, effectively knocks down a domino that potentially ends the series.