Evan Turner usually is one of the most entertaining guys in the Boston Celtics’ locker room, but he was in no joking mood after Sunday’s loss to the Orlando Magic.
Turner was called for a foul on Orlando’s Aaron Gordon with just over one minute left in the game. With his team already in the midst of a pretty major collapse, Turner’s frustration boiled over, as and he took it out on official Sean Corbin.
Apparently Corbin didn’t like what Turner had to say, because the referee hit the swingman with two quick technical fouls and ejected him from the game.
The normally level-headed Turner had some strong words for Corbin when asked about the ejection after the game.
“Honestly, I was just thinking in the flow of the game and everything it didn’t really balance itself out with everything that was being called,” Turner said, via The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “So I was like, ‘That was crazy.’ So I pretty much said it was crazy, and it’s B.S. and he T’d me up.”
Turner wasn’t done with Corbin.
“I rarely (ever) say anything,” he added. “… The dude made a bad call, simple as that, so I’m an idiot because he has a whistle, so when he has a bad day at home or anything else he takes it out there, and that’s what he did (Sunday night) and I’m out $5,000.
“You know, I’m like blowing my cool every blue moon, but that was a horrible call. And I was bad for reacting how I reacted and I left it up to a sensitive person to do the rest and put the team in a tough situation.”
Turner’s technical came back to haunt the Celtics, as Marcus Smart completed a four-point play with 14 seconds remaining that could have cut Orlando’s lead to one point instead of three had Evan Fournier not made both technical free throws.
Still, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he thinks Turner realizes his mistake.
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
