Cavs All-Star Kevin Love hasn’t received many technical fouls over the course of his career. In fact, he kept a clean slate in that department all last season. However, in Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Raptors, referee Kane Fitzgerald hit the former UCLA stand-out with his first “T” of the season.
The incident occurred with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Cavs were trying to fight back from a 20-point deficit. Love, who recently signed an extension with the Cavs, was whistled for a loose ball foul while going for a rebound. In frustration, he slammed the ball onto the court, which led to a technical foul.
According to a report from Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Love yelled “come on” after the initial whistle.
“Whitest thing I could’ve said,” Kevin Love told The Athletic after Wednesday’s game.
The NBA has made it known that this sort of behavior will result in a technical foul going forward. In previous years, a player slamming the ball to the ground may have been overlooked. Things are changing.
Love led the Cavs in scoring on Wednesday night. In 34 minutes of playing time, he racked up 21 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the field (1-of-4 from beyond the arc), seven rebounds, and two assists.
Love and the Cavs will be back in action on Friday night, when they’ll travel to Minnesota for a match-up against the Timberwolves. Tip-off inside the Target Center is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST.
