In Sunday's game against the Celtics, Sixer coach Larry Brown came to the rescue of one of the players... one of the Celtics players. Phil Jasner of the Daily News reports that Brown spoke up for Boston's Paul Pierce who came close to being ejected in the fourth quarter.
With four minutes left in the game, the officials were sorting out some pushing, shoving and trash-talking by both teams. Pierce and the Sixers' Allen Iverson already had been called for a double technical. When Pierce and the Sixers' Aaron McKie got in each other's face, McKie was hit with a technical. And, as the officials were pointing toward players, it appeared Pierce might be assessed another technical, which would have meant an ejection.
And that is when Sixers coach Larry Brown, who believes dearly in the sanctity of the game, walked up the sideline and told Hollins: "Don't throw him out of the game." That was Brown's way of saying it was important to allow the players to decide the outcome of an important game. Brown said Hollins replied they had to do what was right; as it turned out, the designations remained and no one was ejected.
Asked about it yesterday, Brown said: "Let the players play."