Wizards’ Kevin Seraphin ejected for flagrant foul on Grizzlies’ Jon Leuer
Washington Wizards center Kevin Seraphin was ejected from Thursday night’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies after receiving a flagrant foul-2 for walloping Memphis reserve Jon Leuer on a third-quarter dunk attempt.
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The flagrant occurred in the final minute of the third quarter, with the Wizards holding a 23-point lead over the visiting Grizzlies, who were without four key players — Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Tony Allen — as they played the second night of a road back-to-back after a Wednesday night loss in Boston.
After Memphis rookie big man Jarnell Stokes picked off Wizards swingman Otto Porter, the Grizzlies were off to the races, with rookie guard Jordan Adams dishing to Leuer for a fast-break finish. Seraphin, trailing the play, hammered Leuer as he dunked the ball, connecting with the Grizzly’s head as he went past and seeming to pull him down by the arm after the initial contact, too. Another look:
Leuer, thankfully, bounced back and remained in the game.
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The referees initially called the play a flagrant-1, characterizing Seraphin’s contact as “unnecessary.” After reviewing the play, though, they reinterpreted it as “unnecessary and excessive,” bumping it up to a flagrant-2, which carries with it an automatic ejection. Seraphin finished with two points, two rebounds and one assist in 6 1/2 minutes of floor time; what exactly he was thinking committing that kind of foul with his team holding such a healthy advantage is, well, anybody’s guess
It remains to be seen whether Seraphin will face additional discipline for the chase-down crack on Leuer. Earlier this week, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside was ejected after receiving a flagrant-2 for cleaning out Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk on Monday; on Tuesday, Whiteside received a one-game suspension from the league office for his transgression.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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