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Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown sent word Monday night that he didn't feel well enough to speak with reporters following a 107-90 preseason loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Maybe it was how Brown felt or perhaps it was the potential cost of saying how he felt. Brown was ejected with about 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the first time he's been tossed as Bobcats coach.
The same replacement referee, lead official Kevin Scott, assessed both technical fouls against Brown, and called for security when Brown was slow to leave the court.
Had Brown articulated what he felt – particularly considering the NBA's sensitivity to its labor impasse with the regular refs – a large fine might have followed.
"It was one of those games when no one was really satisfied when it happened – us or them,'' shooting guard Raja Bell said of Brown's ejection. "I guess they (the officials) had heard enough and did what was necessary.''
Brown has now been charged with three technical fouls this season. He never reached the point last season of being ejected and assistant coach Dave Hanners, who took over in Brown's absence, said it's rare for the Hall of Famer to get tossed.
"Not in a game like this,'' Hanners said of it being the preseason.
The replacement crew called 61 fouls Monday, plus five technicals: The two on Brown, one each for Bobcats Gerald Wallace and Vlade Radmanovic and one on Hawks forward Othello Hunter.
While the Bobcats weren't happy with the officials, they had themselves to blame for this loss: They trailed by 20 in the third quarter after playing their most porous defense of the preseason.
The Hawks shot 53 percent in the first half and went to the foul line 26 times. At one point, when Hawks coach Mike Woodson complained about a call, Brown sarcastically shouted, "Come on, Woodie, (the foul differential) is 25-6!''
The only Bobcat who played particularly well Monday was Wallace (20 points, six rebounds) who made all 12 of his free-throw attempts.
Brown received his first technical at the end of the first half, in reaction to a questionable offensive foul charged to Wallace.
Brown was shown the door with 3 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third, when he angrily protested a personal foul and technical charged against Radmanovic. Shocked and angry that Scott tossed him, Brown lingered on the court for several minutes before leaving for the locker room.
