The crew chief clarifies the controversial ejections after a Thunder-Wizards scuffle, revealing the reasoning behind who stayed and who left the court.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won their eleventh straight game on Saturday night with a 132-111 blowout over the tanking Washington Wizards.
Reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once again brilliant, as he dropped his seventh 40 point game of the season on 17-27 shooting. Isaiah Hartenstein was one point away from a triple double in only 25 minutes as the Thunder big man finished with 9 points, 20 rebounds (tied a career high) and 10 assists. Chet Holmgren was a lethal two way force with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and countless altered shots at the rim.
And somehow neither the blowout victory to extend the win streak, nor the 40 point masterclass from the MVP, nor the the double bigs domination were the talking points on social media. Instead, a scuffle that broke out near the end of the first half was all the rage online.
It all started when Justin Champagnie and Jaylin Williams exchanged harmless shoves before an inbounds play. Ajay Mitchell approached the scene and proceeded to be pushed in the face by Champagnie. That hit escalated both teams into a baseline tussle.
After the brouhaha was broken up, the referee crew went to the replay monitors to assess the situation. Ultimately, Champagnie, Williams, Mitchell and Cason Wallace were ejected from the game. Shockingly, Anthony Gill, who appeared on replay to give a push in the back to Mitchell, came away unscathed.
Many analysts and fans were left wondering how only one Wizards player and three Thunder players were tossed. NBA reporter Josh Robbins of The Athletic was the game's pool reporter and asked Crew Chief John Goble about the melee after the game.
The Pool Report interview was conducted by Josh Robbins (The Athletic) with Crew Chief John Goble following tonight’s Oklahoma City at Washington game.
March 21, 2026
QUESTION: What merited two technical fouls each for Justin Champagnie and Jaylin Williams?
GOBLE: Initially Champagnie and Williams were assessed technical fouls for pushing each other during the dead ball. Champagnie was then assessed a second technical foul for making contact to Mitchell’s face. During review, a second technical foul was assessed to Williams for his actions during the scrum.
QUESTION: Why were Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell ejected?
GOBLE: They were ejected for not acting as peacemakers and escalating the altercation.
QUESTION: Why did Anthony Gill not receive a technical foul?
GOBLE: It was observed that Wallace pushed Gill into the altercation and after falling to the floor, it was not observed that Gill did anything in an unsportsmanlike manner to assess a penalty.