After 36 and 49 points efforts in his two previous games, Atlanta Hawks’ point guard Trae Young looked like he will have another big performance against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night. Unfortunately for Young, however, that didn’t happen as he was ejected from the game in the third quarter for taunting Bull’s guard Kris Dunn.
Trae Young and Kris Dunn got into a verbal and physical exchange in the first quarter after some contact on the previous play and were handed technical fouls. Then midway through the third quarter, Young hit a three over Dunn to make it 78-62 for the Hawks and stared down at him. Referee Mark Ayotte swiftly reacted, calling the Hawks’ PG for taunting and ejecting him from the game, causing surprise on both sides.
“They made a call, I live with it.” – said Young who had 18 points and five assists before the ejection. “I looked at someone, and that was about it.”
After the game, Dunn offered his opinion on the matter, saying that he doesn’t think Young should have been ejected.
“I don’t really know what happened, to be honest,” – he told BullsTV. “I just know that he got ejected, and I felt that he shouldn’t have got ejected.”
Ayotte also commented on his decision, saying to a pool reporter that he thinks he made the right call.
“Taunting is directed at an opponent specifically,” – he said. “Celebration is not directed at an opponent.”
Atlanta Hawks managed to close out the game even without Trae Young, beating the Bulls 123-118 and improving their record to 22-42.
