LAS VEGAS — Jordan Walsh was in the midst of his best game of Summer League Monday night against the Heat before it came to an abrupt halt in a 100-96 Celtics loss at Cox Pavillion. The forward was ejected with 3:34 left in the second quarter after receiving his second technical foul following a hard foul on Miami’s Pelle Larsson.
Walsh had picked up his first technical foul of the night just seven seconds earlier after exchanging words with Heat guard Erik Stevenson following hitting a layup. The third-year forward brought some of that fire into the subsequent sequence with Larsson that ended with the shove. However, Walsh’s inability to cool off after making the initial foul led to an oversight.
“It was a dumb decision,” Walsh said. “I low key forgot I got the first tech. I also remembered that don’t nobody really hit anybody in the NBA. So I really didn’t have no reason to attack him but I thought that it was dumb. It was a rookie mistake, immature for me to do it. Can’t let it happen again.”
The entire sequence highlighted a chippy game for both sides but ended what had been a promising outing for Walsh. He had led all scorers with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field over just 10 minutes before his early exit that occurred right in front of the Celtics braintrust courtside. Walsh said he apologized to Brad Stevens after the game for his miscue but also wanted to send a message with his physicality in the sequence.
“For one, I don’t really like to get pushed around,” Walsh said. “I feel like this whole summer league I’ve been getting hit and people have been doing all type of stuff to me. I was kind of letting it slide but at the same time, I should have known better than to take it to that next level. I knew better than that. But for sure, I don’t want to be no pushover, I don’t want to let somebody roll over for me.”
Walsh and the Celtics will get a two days off now before a chance at redemption when they face off against the Lakers on Thursday night at Thomas and Mack Arena.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.