That’s the opinion of NBA Hall of Fame 2017 inductee Tracy McGrady, who claims the referee acted too swiftly in his decision to eject Durant.
The 2017 NBA Finals MVP was making his return to the line-up having missed the previous six matches due to a fractured rib.
But his comeback lasted barely two quarters as he lost his cool after not getting a decision on a drive through to the basket.
Official Tre Maddox whistled him for a technical foul, but then decided to give him another one which meant he was tossed out.
Durant could be seen berating the official for not calling what he perceived as an obvious foul.
And the cameras caught exactly what Durant shouted. He said: “Call the f****** foul you b**** a** m***********.”
However, despite Durant’s foul language, McGrady believes the official was in the wrong.
“You get hit with a lot of expletives by these guys when they feel like they’re not getting any calls,” McGrady said on ESPN.
“He shouldn’t have been ejected for this, if anything the ref was wrong for this.
“This is superstar player, who is a champion and he vented his frustration.
“But the ref should have given him a tech and walk away from the situation.
“You know you have to keep this guy on the basketball court.”
