Ejection Doesn't Faze McCants

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DENVER ? It took Timberwolves rookie Rashad McCants six NBA games to get ejected.

McCants, known for his questionable attitude and being enigmatic in college, had his best game offensively before being ejected in the fourth quarter Sunday night after picking up two technical fouls.

With 4 minutes, 40 seconds left in the game against the Denver Nuggets, McCants posted up Andre Miller, pivoted and dunked over Marcus Camby, who had rotated over to help on the play.

McCants shoved Camby in the back after the dunk, and the rookie was automatically ejected for his second technical of the game. Coach Dwane Casey said McCants' move was "clearly a taunt."

After the game, a 102-91 loss for the Wolves, McCants said he was not trying to show up Camby.

"When I dunked it, I came down and he had bumped into me and I was going forward and he was going out, and I just got a tech," McCants said. "There's nothing I can do about it, just keep playing and keep my mouth shut from here on out. ? I was just trying to show emotion to pump my team up. We were down. I was trying to give us a boost of energy."

Less than two minutes earlier, he was hit with a technical foul for reasons that weren't completely clear. Casey said he would have to get an explanation to know what happened.

After Kevin Garnett dunked the ball, McCants was called for a technical.

"Kevin dunked the ball, we both screamed, we bumped chests, we looked at each other and I got a tech for it," said McCants, who finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

McCants, who could face a fine, never acknowledged that he was wrong or that he made a mistake. His coach, however, was clearly upset.

"It was a dumb play," Casey said of McCants' dunk and shove. "Like I told him, he will not play in a Minnesota Timberwolves uniform if he wants to be in theatrics. We're not going to have that. We're not going to perform that way. Our organization is not going to accept that. Myself as a coach, I'm not going to accept that.

"Let your defense and your offense speak for itself. You can win by playing basketball the right way. There's no place in basketball for taunting another player."

Garnett, however, didn't issue the same scolding.

"It's going to happen," Garnett said. "(McCants) plays with a lot of energy; he's young. I told him to continue to play like that because that's what got him here.

"The second one was just energy. How many techs have I got being young, dunking on somebody, pushing? It's going to happen. I think the refs think that he's disrespectful, coming off disrespectful. I told him that's not even it. The kid just plays with a lot of energy, plays with his heart."</div>

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He doesn't start, because he's still a terrible defender. The TWolves already have one defensive liability on the court with Wally, so having McCants out there at the same time is just asking for trouble on the defensive side of the ball. He's also undersized at SG, so having him come off the bench for some energy and points is a better role for him.

 

It was a pretty good dunk on Camby, I thought dunk DeMarr Johnson got on Wally was better though.