Andrew Bogut ejected during Sydney Kings’ NBL win over Brisbane Bullets
Andrew Bogut’s ejection for a second unsportsmanlike foul during the Kings crushing win over Brisbane left both fans and basketball greats scratching their heads. Did he deserve it?
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The Sydney Kings might have given Brisbane Bullets a bath, but superstar Andrew Bogut was sent for an early shower after he was ejected in the last quarter for a second unsportsmanlike foul.
Still with 8.25 to go in the game and with his Kings up 24, Bogut was sent from the court after the referees reviewed a rebounding contest and adjudicated he had committed an unsportsmanlike act.
Bogut was in fine form after the game, tweeting: “I was on a load management restriction of 20 minutes and I was slightly over anyway, I get the last laugh green shirts.”
5-0 @SydneyKings ! I was on a load management restriction of 20 minutes and I was slightly over anyway, I get the last laugh green shirts.....✌ï¸
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) October 26, 2019
Aussie hoops legend Andrew Gaze questioned the spirit of the call.
“I reckon there’d be some upset fans,” Gaze said.
“I’m not sure that rule is in the spirit of how that should be called.
“He could argue ‘I’m just trying to put my arm in front of him to box him out’, he didn’t sling his arm or try and throw him to the ground.
“I reckon we make it tougher than it really should be.”
The NBA champion’s ejection was a frustration, but it did nothing to stop the Kings’ juggernaut from registering a fifth win from as many starts, this time 94-79.
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Teammate Daniel Kickert believed Bogut would be happy with the result, despite his ejection.
“It was a physical game and sometimes it can go like that, guys are going to get in altercations,” Kickert said.
“Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t but I think Andrew’s going to be happy with the 15-point win.”
The Kings won this one with defence, choking the Kings in the first half and holding them to just 32 points.
Many hands make light work and the Kings had contributors all over the floor, six players in double digits, led by point guard Casper Ware with 17. Bogut had a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) and NBA-destined Next Star Didi Louzada had 14.
Conversely, the Bullets couldn’t find enough contributors, with guard Nathan Sobey (21) and import Lamar Patterson (20) forced to carry the load.
Kickert said the Kings were focusing on not getting ahead of themselves, despite the stunning start to the season.
“It’s early days, we haven’t seen everyone in the league yet,” he said.
“We’ve still got a lot of really tough teams to go up against, tough road trips coming up next weekend.
“We’re just trying to stay week-to-week and focus on what’s ahead of us.
“It’s easy to get complacent, but that’s a message we’re constantly talking about during the week, not to settle.”
The Kings look more imposing on both ends of the floor each night and next have a date with Adelaide 36ers next Saturday, before the big one at arch rival Melbourne United on November 4 — Casper Ware’s first game against his old club.
Originally published as Andrew Bogut ejected during Sydney Kings’ NBL win over Brisbane Bullets