Isaiah Thomas, Rajon Rondo ejected after multiple altercations, lots of trash talk
After one Rondo forearm and lots of jawing both ways, the refs weren't having it
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1 min read
It doesn't look like Pelicans point guard Rajon Rondo and Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas will be exchanging Valentine's Day cards any time soon.
Rondo and Thomas were ejected from Wednesday's game in New Orleans after repeated altercations. Things first escalated when Rondo caught Thomas with a forearm to the face toward the end of the first quarter. Rondo was assessed a flagrant foul, and the two players continued to talk trash to each other as Thomas took the free throws.
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— FOXSports NewOrleans (@FOXSportsNOLA) February 15, 2018
Rajon Rondo & Isaiah Thomas going at it in New Orleans #NBA pic.twitter.com/WEu3G4vj6I
On the ensuing inbounds pass, Thomas and Rondo bumped each other multiple times until the refs finally had enough. Rondo was ejected from the game first, and Thomas got the boot shortly afterward.
The two never got into an actual fight, but it was clear that the refs weren't going to tolerate any more from either player. As the Pelicans broadcast team mentioned, Rondo had some choice things to say about Thomas potentially getting a tribute video from the Boston Celtics last month.
Rajon Rondo was irked to hear that the Celtics would honor Isaiah Thomas on any night. "What has he done?” Rondo asked. Told that he led the Celtics to the conference finals last year, Rondo remarked, “Oh, that’s what we celebrate around here?”
— Bill Doyle (@BillDoyle15) January 17, 2018
More Rondo on IT: “This is the Boston Celtics. This isn’t the Phoenix Suns, no disrespect to any other organization, but you don’t hang conference titles. Do we hang going to the conference finals? What do we hang here?”
— Bill Doyle (@BillDoyle15) January 17, 2018
Title banners, Rondo was told.
“OK, cool,” Rondo said.
Thomas said after the game that Rondo did, in fact, bring up the video tribute during the scuffle, and didn't understand why.
Isaiah Thomas said Rondo brought up the video tribute kerfuffle today when they went at it. He said Rondo hit him in the face 3 times without consequence before he reacted. Says he doesn’t know Rondo and doesn’t know why Rondo reacted to him the way he did.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) February 15, 2018
The Lakers meet again in March, so we'll have to keep an eye on the Rondo-Thomas matchup.
