PLAYOFFS ROUND 1: #4 DAL (4-2) vs #5 UTA (2-4) |

[cow]

Much ado about nothing. It's the playoffs and won't be the last time Luka gets a hard foul. I shudder to think what the reaction would be if this game were played in the 80's.  Whiteside even tried to help him up. Nice theater that Bullock and  DFS came to his rescue.

I don't really see it as a hard foul or theater, more of a misunderstanding that escalated after an awkward fall.

-Luka wasn't mad.
-Whiteside tried to help him up, either as a gesture or to avoid the wrath of the refs.
-Dorian's view was blocked of Whiteside trying to help Luka up and it looked like he was just standing over him.
-Dorian arm bars (not really a shove) Whiteside to create space and help Luka up.  I don't see any malice by Dorian, just creating space to separate Luka and Whiteside and help his teammate up.
-Whiteside doesn't like being touched especially when he's trying to help Luka up and shoves Dorian.  Not the right response but certainly understandable.
-Reggie said "not in my house".  

I'd have given Whiteside a T for shoving Dorian and Reggie a T for big dogging.  I don't think Whiteside should have been ejected.