HoopsHype.com Rumors

Evans Clinchy: Joakim Noah on his second tech: "I just wanted to let the referee know how I felt about the game. I definitely deserved to get kicked out." Twitter @evansclinchy

Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah, Referees 

Joakim Noah was ejected, the Bulls were whistled for six technical fouls, and Chicago got blasted, 115-78, by Miami in Game Two of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Noah’s ejection was particularly enjoyable for this Heat fan, who screamed in his face why dropping a middle finger in his eye. Her husband’s right there with her. The young kid below both of them looks appalled. The usher looks indifferent. The Big Lead

Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah, Referees 

Chris Tomasson: Joakim Noah on ejection: "I just wanted to let the referee, let him know how I felt about the game I definitely deserved to get kicked out" Twitter @christomasson

Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah, Referees 

Nick Friedell: Taj Gibson is hopeful he won't be suspended. Almost apologetic for the way he handled situation early in 4th. Twitter @NickFriedell

Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson, Referees 

Chris Tomasson: Sources said no suspension is expected for Taj Gibson failing to leave court in a timely manner. Fine possible, but not a suspension. Twitter @christomasson

Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson, Referees 

KC Johnson: Taj Gibson: "I have to do better. I can't lose my composure like that." #Bulls Twitter @KCJHoop

Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson, Referees 

With three minutes left on the clock, Memphis leading 111-99 and the outcome already decided, Clippers wing Caron Butler committed a loose ball foul that sent Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince to the charity stripe. After Prince made his first freebie, Paul and Billups chatted at the 3-point arc about their respective responsibilities on the live ball after the second free throw. Billups told Paul he'd go box out the shooter; Paul's task, then, was to head down the lane to help out on Grizzlies center Marc Gasol. Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, Referees 

With 7:06 left to go in the fourth quarter, J.R. Smith was called for a flagrant 2 foul when his right elbow caught Jason Terry square in the face. That meant an automatic ejection for Smith, and it could have repercussions for Game 4 on Sunday as the Knicks try to close the Celtics out. Terry had to be restrained by teammates. “I was trying to draw the foul,” Smith said in the locker room after the game. “He reached in one time. I thought he was gonna reach in again a second time. I was gonna try to get a quick shot off, but they made a call that the refs saw. Not really much I could do about it.” Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, JR Smith, Referees, Jason Terry 

Smith said he was going to prepare to play on Sunday, though flagrant 2 fouls can come with fines or suspensions after they are reviewed by the league. “I don’t really know,” he said when asked if the ejection was warranted. “I’m not really the judge of that. I’m going to let them do what they do. I’m really trying to stay away from getting into it with the officials. I’ve got to keep my head. “It was a bad basketball play on my behalf just because I got kicked out of the game. My team needs me. Just got to get ready to play Sunday.” Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, JR Smith, Referees, Jason Terry 

Evans Clinchy: Doc on fouls called on KG: "They were horrendous, and they had a huge effect on us. Coulda gone either way; they all went against Kevin." Twitter @evansclinchy

Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett, Referees 

Jason Jones: DMC said ref Violet Palmer apologized for tech she called. DMC hopeful it gets rescinded, won't know until tomorrow. Twitter @mr_jasonjones

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Referees, Violet Palmer 

The 5-foot-9 Robinson must have known that a jump ball with 6-foot-9 Raptors forward Rudy Gay was a lost cause. So he didn't even try to contest. Instead, he ran behind Gay after the referee threw the ball into the air, caught Gay's tip, and took a shot. Pretty genius, right? Well, no. The problem with Robinson's plan is that the NBA's rulebook forbids either player participating in a jump ball from leaving the circle until after the ball is tapped. It also states that one of the eight other players on the court must touch the ball before either jumper is allowed to again. If you didn't know that was a rule, it's probably because you can't remember a time when it's ever had to be enforced. You're not alone. So thanks for that, Nate. USA Today Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Referees 

Roger Mason: RIP to @nba referee Greg Willard. Prayers out to his family and friends. #nbafamily Twitter @MoneyMase

New Orleans Hornets, Roger Mason, Referees, Greg Willard 

It was a Gibson foul with 2:37 left in the first quarter that was upgraded, and the upgrade was met with surprise in the Bulls' locker room Sunday night after their win over the Detroit Pistons. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported the upgrade Saturday. "I really can't dwell on it," Gibson said. "It's part of the game. I'll have to just keep moving forward. "That game is behind us now. Just focus on getting wins. Like I said before, I didn't try and hurt him. I think he's a great player, I just tried to make a good foul without trying to hurt anybody, but sometimes it goes that way. But by all means I'm not a dirty player, nor is Kirk, but we'll have to wait until we see him again." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson, Referees 

"I don't even remember what happened," Gibson said. "I just tried to make a play, and I guess it was a foul. But hey, it's going to happen. I don't remember it, but the NBA is doing their job and trying to correct things. I can't be mad at that. I'm going to have to keep pushing and moving on and get ready for the next time we play them, I guess." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson, Referees 

Larry Sanders has had his share of incidents with officials this season, but even his harshest critics would agree this one wasn’t his fault. In the opening seconds of Milwaukee’s 131-102 blowout home win over Charlotte on Monday, Sanders decked referee Bill Kennedy with a right elbow to the face as he came down from winning the opening tip. Kennedy fell backwards onto his back and stumbled trying to get back up, holding his head in pain. The game was briefly delayed but Kennedy, a 15-year veteran, was able to continue. SI.com

Milwaukee Bucks, Larry Sanders, Referees 

LeBron James: RIP to one of our NBA refs Greg Willard due to cancer! Prayers goes out to his family and friends #NBAFamily Twitter @KingJames

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Referees, Greg Willard 

Cole Aldrich: So sad to hear about Greg Willard. RIP to a great referee. Twitter @colea45

Sacramento Kings, Cole Aldrich, Referees, Greg Willard 

Saw referee Bill Spooner in Detroit last Friday for the first time in a long time and when we were catching up before the game, he mentioned that former ref Greg Willard was having a terrible time fighting pancreatic cancer that hit him last year. I got to know Greg just a little bit over the years in various Marriott concierge lounges and he was a very nice man and a fine referee. That’s what made it hard last night when I got news that he’d passed away; six months younger than I am and a terrible, terrible loss. Toronto Star

Referees, Greg Willard, Bill Spooner 

Apparently LeBron James' words resonated as reasoned logic, after all. The NBA confirmed to the Sun Sentinel on Saturday that one of the hard fouls during Wednesday's Miami Heat loss to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center has been upgraded to a flagrant foul. The play in question, a shooting foul on Chicago power forward Taj Gibson against James, came with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter of what turned into a 101-97 loss that ended the Heat's 27-game winning streak, six victories shy of the NBA-record winning streak of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Taj Gibson, Referees