Written by Chris Forsberg at ESPN.com
After a Game 3 that featured eight technical fouls and three ejections, Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas admitted that bad blood lingers with the Washington Wizards.
“We don’t like them and they don’t like us. That’s just what it is,” Thomas said after the Wizards pummeled the Celtics 116-89 in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday night at the Verizon Center.
The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday night in Washington.
“Whatever bad blood we’ve had in the season, it’s carried over to the playoffs,” Thomas said. “We’re just competing and trying to win, and they did that today. We took care of business at home, now we just gotta try to get Game 4.”
In a game filled with mostly minor flare-ups, Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was ejected after shoving Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk in the second quarter.
After Olynyk got whistled for an offensive foul for an illegal screen that left Oubre on the court, Oubre sprang to his feet and rushed at Olynyk, shoving him as Olynyk argued the original call to a nearby referee.
Oubre actually reached across referee Monty McCutchen to deliver the shove, which knocked Olynyk onto the floor. Oubre continued barking at Olynyk as McCutchen held him back before teammates separated the two players.
Oubre was assessed a flagrant 2 and ejected from the game. Fans inside the Verizon Center chanted Oubre’s name as the referees reviewed the video.
The league reviews all flagrant fouls, and Oubre could face a suspension or fine for his actions.
Olynyk wouldn’t offer much on the incident after the game. Asked if he was surprised that Oubre charged at him, Olynyk said, “Yeah, man. I didn’t expect it.”
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