Westbrook avoids ban after NBA rescinds tech
The NBA has rescinded a technical foul against Russell Westbrook, meaning the All-Star will not face an automatic one-game suspension while the Thunder battle for a playoff spot.
The league’s decision will allow Westbrook to play against the Trail Blazers on Monday, one day after he was called for a technical foul in Oklahoma City’s loss to the Pacers.
It was Westbrook’s 16th technical foul of the season, which would have resulted in an automatic one-game suspension.
This is Westbrook’s second technical foul in the last seven games that was rescinded by the league after the fact. A technical he received on April 5 against Houston stood as his 15th of the season, but techs at Phoenix on March 29 and again Sunday night at Indiana were later ruled incorrect by the league office.
League rules state that players receive a one-game suspension starting with their 16th technical foul of the season and every other tech thereafter, with the slate wiped clean when the playoffs begin.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Sunday that he was “confident” the league would rescind the latest technical against Westbrook, who scored a career-high 54 points in Oklahoma City’s 116-104 loss to Indiana.
The loss dropped the Thunder (43-37) into a tie with the Pelicans (43-37) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans owns the tiebreaker.
Westbrook, the All-Star Game MVP, is averaging a league-leading 27.9 points and 8.6 assists per game this season.
ESPN.com’s Royce Young contributed to this report.
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