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"Was I surprised?" Tim Duncan asked about being ejected by referee Joey Crawford on two quick technical fouls late in the third quarter. "I was sitting on the bench laughing about a call and he throws me out of the game. Yeah I was surprised, of course." Duncan then gets personal: "Joey has a personal problem with me and I can't do anything about that. I said three words to him the entire night and the other words were the two times he gave me technicals, so he's obviously got a personal problem with me." Fort Worth Star-Telegram / April 15And Duncan?: "Joey knew exactly what he was doing. He came into this game with a personal vendetta against me, it had to be, because I didn't do anything the entire game. As I said, I said three words to him and the three words were, 'I got fouled on a shot.' There was one shot I took against Dirk. I pump-faked and got hit on the arm and I said, 'Joey, I got hit on the play.' I probably said it again when I came back down the floor and that's all I said to him the entire game." Fort Worth Star-Telegram / April 15"The last game we played against Indiana I got a tech from him there also. So I kind of imagine it stemmed from that. I don't know what his deal is...I don't know what else they want me to do. If he wants camera time then he's going to call techs and get the camera time he wants. So I don't know what his deal is...I don't have a problem with Joey. Obviously, he's got a problem with me." OK, it gets better. Here's what Duncan says Crawford said to him during the game: "He looked at me and said, 'Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?' I didn't say anything to him anyway. If he wants to fight, we can fight. I don't have any problem with him, but we can do it if the wants to. I have no reason why in the middle of a game he would yell at me, 'Do you want to fight?' Fort Worth Star-Telegram / April 15Crawford is routinely assigned to work high-profile playoff games, so Duncan figures he'll see him again. "He'll officiate games, and he'll do what he does, and he'll make the calls he wants to make," Duncan said. "I have to imagine when it comes down to it, I have to watch what I do. San Antonio Express-News"He was complaining the whole time. And then he went over to the bench and he was over there doing the same stuff behind our back. I hit him with one (technical) and he kept going over there, laughing, and I look over there and he's still complaining. So I threw him out." Crawford on T'ing up a guy on the bench: "He's complaining. He was constantly complaining. He was complaining when he was on the court. Then he got on the bench and kept doing the same stuff. So I just ejected him." Fort Worth Star-Telegram / April 15Crawford on Duncan saying that he said nothing to warrant the ejection: "That's his opinion. He said nothing when he was walking off the court and he called me a piece of (blank). Is that nothing?" Fort Worth Star-Telegram / April 15 Asked for his take on Tim Duncan picking up two quick T's from the bench and being ejected late in the third quarter, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said: "My feelings will be shared privately with the league. I don't have any opinions for you, with all due respect." Fort Worth Star-Telegram / April 15"Do I think it was deserved? No," Bowen said. "For a former MVP of the league, a guy that doesn't curse out the officials like I hear some of the other guys cursing out the officials, I think it was unfortunate that he was dealt this blow." Houston ChronicleDuncan has a reputation as one of the league's biggest complainers, with a handful of opposing coaches and players even admonishing him during games for whining. This season, however, he has tried harder to play through his frustration. He had just seven technicals prior to Sunday. Crawford is regarded as one of the NBA's top officials but also has a famed temper. In Game 2 of the 2003 Western Conference finals between the Spurs and Dallas, he ejected former Mavericks coach Don Nelson for standing at the scorer's table too long. San Antonio Express-News
As I said, I said three words to him and the three words were, 'I got fouled on a shot.'
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