Kelly Oubre Jr. plows through Kelly Olynyk in Game 3, gets ejected (Video)
By John Buhler
Washington Wizards wing Kelly Oubre Jr. hated that pick Boston Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk put on him. So he shoved Olynyk into the floor and got ejected.
The Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics do not like each other. It’s only Game 3 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals, but tensions have already boiled over. After a hard pick was set on Wizards wing Kelly Oubre Jr., Oubre goes over to Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk and punch-shoves him into the floor.
The benches of both teams semi-cleared, but the 10 men on the court and all the officials met in that one corner of the hardwood almost immediately. Oubre would be ejected for retaliation. Olynyk would get to stay in the game and miss a technical free throw.
Was Olynyk’s pick a hard one? Without question. However, Oubre should not have lost his cool in that moment. Washington has the worst bench of any team still left in the NBA Playoffs. He’s been one of three players that have consistently gotten minutes in head coach Scott Brooks’ eight-man rotation.
His ejection was obviously coming, but it was debatable if Olynyk would be asked to leave the game as well. Olynyk’s pick on Oubre came out of obvious frustration, as the Celtics played horrendously in the first quarter. That unfortunately carried into the second for Boston.
With Oubre out for the game and possibly Game 4 for his on-court antics, look for wing Bojan Bogdanovic and backup point guard Brandon Jennings to pick up the slack for the Wizards. Could this ejection possibly force Trey Burke onto the floor?
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Washington has a stud at the starting two-guard in Bradley Beal, but the Wizards could not be weaker of the bench in the backcourt. To get ejected when your team is up by more than 20 points early in the contest is just plain stupid.