Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic received a technical foul with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter against the Houston Rockets on Friday night for arguing with an official. Dragic was subbed out immediately after the call and did not re-enter the game the rest of the way. It ended up being a close game, one that Phoenix lost on a jumper from James Harden as time expired.
The Suns benched Goran Dragic for arguing with a referee
The Suns probably could have used him down the stretch in a close loss to Houston.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Why wasn’t Dragic reinserted back into the game? By arguing with a referee and getting a T, Dragic violated one of coach Jeff Hornacek’s team rules. From Dave King of Bright Side of the Suns:
Hornacek: Goran sat rest of gm cuz he argued with ref. that's rule. Been there for wks. Tucker just stared down Harden, said nothing 2 refs.
— Dave King (@DaveKingNBA) January 24, 2015 Team has been told for weeks: get a tech for arguing, you are out of game for good. Mook. Keef. Tucker (OKC). Now Goran.
— Dave King (@DaveKingNBA) January 24, 2015 Dragic struggled before being benched, finishing the night with two points on 1-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes. Phoenix rolled with a backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas down the stretch. Bledsoe finished with 25 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, while Thomas added 22 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Harden was the story for the Rockets with 33 points, 10 assists and the game-winner. The Suns sit in the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference by 3.5 games ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder.
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