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Russell Westbrook’s technical foul rescinded, will play vs. Portland

By Stanford Crissey

Apr 10, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks into the crowd during action against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) looks into the crowd during action against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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League rescinds technical foul against Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, allowing him to play Monday

The NBA may have just saved the Thunder’s season.

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Oklahoma City is in a dogfight with the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth spot in the playoffs. The two teams are tied with two games to go, and the Pelicans hold the tiebreaker.

The Thunder’s hopes were briefly dealt a severe blow in their last game on Sunday, a 116-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Westbrook was his typical brilliant self, scoring 54 points, but he also picked up his 16th technical foul of the season. According to league rules, that results in a one-game suspension.

…or it would, that is, but the league has reviewed the play and decided to rescind the technical, according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This decision leaves Westbrook eligible to play in the Thunder’s hugely important Monday game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Many believed at the time that the technical against Westbrook was a very borderline call, and that it was likely to be rescinded. Ultimately, they were correct.

That won’t stop the people whose first thoughts ran immediately to “conspiracy!” Just look at the responses to the Wojnarowski tweet: about half of them just say “rigged.”

For reference, here is the video of the foul:

The decision to rescind the foul is a godsend for the Thunder, who are already without Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka. Without Westbrook, the team could be described, if one were to use such a term, as “screwed.”

After all, Westbrook did take 47 percent of his team’s shots in the Pacers loss, and scored 52 percent of their points. A Thunder team without Westbrook, Durant, or Ibaka wouldn’t exactly be well equipped to go out and win a playoff spot.

Some may cry “rigged!” at this NBA decision; but that foul was borderline at best. Plus, why would it benefit the NBA to have the Thunder in the playoffs over the Pelicans? The Thunder have Westbrook, but the Pelicans have Anthony Davis, another MVP candidate who has never really had any kind of national exposure like the playoffs would give him.

Plus, they’re all just battling for the right to get crushed by the Warriors anyway.

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