Joel Embiid warned for flopping, Luke Walton and Markieff Morris fined

JOEL Embiid has been warned by the NBA for flopping, but that was only after he got grilled by Andre Drummond on Twitter.

The matchup between the two centres was heated, with Embiid winning the individual head-to-head. Blake Griffin’s 50-point performance was the difference, though, with the Detroit Pistons walking away with the win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

After the game, Embiid had words for his opponent.

“I think I own a lot of real estate in his head,” Embiid said. “We lost, so I’m not supposed to talk trash, but he knows damn well that he can’t guard me.”

Drummond responded to that on Twitter, referring to a moment toward the end of the game where Embiid appeared to flop on a supposed elbow from the Pistons; the officials giving Drummond his second technical, ejecting him from the game.

On Thursday morning (AEDT), the NBA announced that it was issuing Embiid with a flopping warning. While it comes with no financial penalty, the big-man will be fined $5000 if he violates the league’s anti-flopping rules again.

Subsequently, the NBA rescinded a technical foul that was given to Drummond.

LAKERS COACH FINED $15,000 FOR RIPPING REFS
— AFP
Los Angeles coach Luke Walton knew it would cost him when he ripped the officiating of the Lakers’ 143-142 overtime loss to San Antonio, and the price was a $15,000 fine.

“Lakers head coach Luke Walton has been fined $15,000 for public criticism of the officiating,” NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said in a statement on Wednesday.

A frustrated Walton had prefaced his post-game remarks on Monday by saying he had to speak out, even knowing a fine was coming.

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I was going to save my money, but I just can’t anymore,” said Walton, who for the second straight game was irked by the disparity in free throws awarded to the Lakers and their opponents.

Noting that the Lakers outscored the Spurs 74-50 in the paint, Walton said it was incomprehensible that the Lakers players driving aggressively to the rim did not draw more fouls that sent them to the free-throw line.

The Spurs made 38 trips to the foul line on Monday. The 27 free throws attempted by San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan were one more than the 26 free throws attempted by the entire Lakers team.

Walton noted that Josh Hart didn’t get to the free throw line once against the Spurs.

“All he does is attack the rim. Zero free throws tonight. Zero,” Walton fumed. “If we are going to play a certain way, let’s not reward people for flopping 30 feet from the hole on plays that have nothing to do with that possession.

“They’re just flopping just to see if they get a foul call. And then (to) not reward players that are physically going to the basket and getting hit -- it’s not right.”

WIZARDS’ MORRIS FINED $15,000 FOR GRABBING CURRY’S SHORTS
— via AP
Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris has been fined $15,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct for grabbing an opponent’s uniform. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced the fine on Wednesday.

It stems from the final play of the fourth quarter of the Wizards’ 125-124 overtime win over the Trail Blazers on Monday.

Morris, who was out of the game after scoring 28 points, twice grabbed Portland guard Seth Curry’s uniform while Curry was playing.