Pelicans forward Jaxson Hayes was ejected from New Orleans’ 114-111 Game 3 loss to Phoenix in the second quarter Friday night after he was assessed a flagrant foul 2 for shoving Suns forward Jae Crowder. After a made CJ McCollum jumper with 5:15 left in the first half, Hayes was crashing the boards from the left corner when he plowed through Crowder, knocking him to the ground. Initially no foul was called, but after Crowder sprinted up the floor to confront Hayes and Suns guard Chris Paul immediately sprinted to another official, play was stopped and the play was reviewed.
Source: Andrew Lopez @ ESPN
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
“When things like that happen to us, we don’t shy away from it. That actually makes us go harder. I wouldn’t recommend that for teams.” JaVale McGee when @Gerald Bourguet asked about Jae Crowder-Jaxson Hayes exchange.
#Suns 16-5 run after Hayes ejection to take 59-48 lead at half pic.twitter.com/IiD0FXUbzT – 1:46 AM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Jae Crowder crashed the end of Deandre Ayton’s postgame press conference and joked:
“Come on, man, you’re holding the bus up!”
DA: “That’s what the game do.” – 1:35 AM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
“We needed a hit like that, to be honest.”
Deandre Ayton echoed what JaVale McGee said about the Suns using a hit like Jaxson Hayes’ shot on Jae Crowder as fuel to get themselves going – 1:33 AM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
“When things like that happen, we don’t shy away from it.”
JaVale McGee said plays like Jaxson Hayes’ shot on Jae Crowder help get the Suns going, much like Julius Randle did with Cam Johnson earlier this year.
“I wouldn’t recommend it.” – 1:24 AM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
“The coaches said that’s one of those hits you don’t want to see in basketball.” Monty Williams on Jaxson Hayes shove of Jae Crowder that led to a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection in the first half. #Suns – 12:56 AM
StatMuse @statmuse
Every Suns bucket since the 10-minute mark in the 4Q:
CP two
CP two
CP assist
CP two
CP two
CP two
CP two
Crowder two
CP assist
CP two
That midrange pull up is unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/rPKUu7M3NV – 12:38 AM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Chris Paul with the Kobe assist to Crowder
Chris Paul with the third-chance scoring opportunity to Crowder (who lost a point due to shoe size) – 12:20 AM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Pels get caught standing and watching on three straight Phoenix misses. Resulted in a Crowder layup and a Crowder 3.
Can’t afford to make those kind of mistakes when the game gets tight like this. – 12:20 AM
Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
Excellent pass by Chris Paul right off the front of the rim to Jae Crowder – 12:17 AM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Chris Paul with a miss from 3 so good it may as well have been an assist to Jae Crowder – 12:17 AM
Chris Herring @Herring_NBA
Not that it matters at this late stage in a key game, but Crowder wearing 99 always makes me think about Player 99 on NBA Live – 12:12 AM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Jae Crowder heads to the scorer’s table at the 7:25 mark, score tied at 88 – 12:04 AM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Suns are 3-for-20 from 3 (15%). Landry Shamet and Jae Crowder are 0-for-10 combined. Combine that with only having 11 FTs and the Pelicans having 24 and it’s a ball game again – 11:42 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Crowder and Shamet both 0/5 3s. And on a night where Deandre Ayton is getting his Ewing on – 11:41 PM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Crowder major defense on Ingram. #Suns – 11:40 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Pelicans are rolling with Trey Murphy in Jaxson Hayes’ place to start the 2nd half – 11:22 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Trey Murphy will start second half in Jaxson Hayes’ spot among the starters – 11:22 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Trey Murphy starting the half for New Orleans in place of Jaxson Hayes. – 11:22 PM
Christian Clark @cclark_13
Trey Murphy starting in Jaxson Hayes’ place. – 11:21 PM
Scott Kushner @ScottDKushner
Rough 2Q for Pels, as a 1-point lead becomes an 11-point halftime deficit, plus Jaxson Hayes gets ejected. – 11:07 PM
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
what’s the point of wired segments if we just watched jae crowder tell jaxson hayes he was gonna fuck him up 5 minutes ago and instead we’re watching him chillin pregame – 11:04 PM
Howard Beck @HowardBeck
Crowder mic’d up, and THAT’S the audio clip you played?! LOL. – 11:03 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Payne and Crowder have been noticeably better in their second stints – 11:03 PM
Scott Kushner @ScottDKushner
Crowder perfectly playing the role of agitator tonight.
You can tell he’s really bugging the Pelicans, exaggerating contact, talking, etc… – 10:59 PM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Alvarado shove on Crowder.
A little Oscar by Crowder, but Alvarado extended arms at end.
Then Crowder goes baseline and finishes around Valanciunas.
#Suns up 6 as Bridges just missed transition layup. – 10:58 PM
Jake Madison @NOLAJake
It’s a foul but is Crowder really happy with a 6 foot nothing dude wrecking him? – 10:58 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Jae Crowder flopping harder than a fish out of water. – 10:58 PM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Hayes ejected as it was ruled unnecessary and excessive.
Flagrant 2.
Crowder received a tech.
#Suns up one as Crowder hits both FTs after Ingram hit tech FT. – 10:53 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Jaxson Hayes ejected with a flagrant foul-penalty 2. Jae Crowder technical for taking a run at Hayes following the play – 10:53 PM
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Unbelievably bad decision by Jaxson Hayes. NBA is way too liberal with flagrants but he earned that ejection. Can’t hurt your team in a game like this. – 10:52 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
I do like how people on NBA Twitter started making jokes about Jae Crowder being a fake tough guy when Jaxson Hayes clocked him for no good reason. Helps to watch a replay before rushing to judgment, maybe? – 10:52 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Jaxson Hayes gets hit with a Flagrant 2. He’s ejected. Big loss for the Pels on an unnecessary play by Jax. – 10:52 PM
Christian Clark @cclark_13
Jaxson Hayes hockey checked Jae Crowder. Flagrant 2. He gets tossed midway through the second quarter. – 10:52 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Jae Crowder got an OREB over Jaxson Hayes on the last defensive possession and was talking to him up the floor. Then on the Pelicans next possession Jax ran over him for an OREB attempt, leading with his arms. Referees call a Flagrant 2 — ejection.
Sigh. He fell for the bait. – 10:52 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Jaxson Hayes is hit with a Flagrant 2 and ejected from the game – 10:51 PM
Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Jaxson Hayes playing the wrong sport man pic.twitter.com/EsIXBVhsUy – 10:51 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Jaxson Hayes is ejected. Flagrant 2. – 10:51 PM
Tony Jones @Tjonesonthenba
Jaxson Hayes might be gone for that – 10:51 PM
Ryan McDonough @McDNBA
Total cheapshot by Jaxson Hayes
He should be ejected – 10:50 PM
Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Great job by Crowder for reacting and going after Hayes. Seemed like refs didn’t even see it to begin with, as no foul was called. An altercation resulting is one of the flagrant criteria as well. – 10:50 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Jaxson Hayes with that Royce O’Neale energy I see… – 10:50 PM
James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
Well, Jaxson Hayes is getting ejected. – 10:50 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
They’re not showing a replay of what Jaxson Hayes did in the arena, so I’m guessing it was probably pretty bad lol – 10:49 PM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Crowder felt Hayes threw him down.
Paul protested call as he ran in the referees face.
Then Crowder went at Hayes.
Had to be broken up.
Play under review. #Suns #Pelicans tied 43-43 with 5:13.
Willie Green’s key word has been physicality.
It’s front and center right now. – 10:49 PM
Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
Hayes made contact with Crowder from behind and under the basket as a shot went up. CP3 immediately got right in the face of an official asking for a foul. As that happened, Crowder was making his way toward Hayes.
They are reviewing the play by Hayes. – 10:49 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Jaxson Hayes just shoved his way through Jae Crowder.
They are looking at that and I don’t think it’ll end well for Jax. – 10:49 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Jae Crowder went after Jaxson Hayes after he felt Hayes rammed him going for the offensive rebound. Chris Paul immediately got up in the official’s face after the play to argue about it – 10:48 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Jax and Jae Crowder have to be separated. Those two have been going at it for the past few possessions. – 10:48 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Now Jaxson Hayes and Jae Crowder getting into it.
It’s getting chippy in New Orleans. – 10:48 PM
Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
Shamet’s shift (and McGee’s) has included a half-dozen plays we’re used to seeing from pretty much everyone when it comes to the impact. Get a bit of that from some of Craig, Crowder, Johnson and Payne and the Suns will be in business. – 10:45 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
OH MY LANDRY SLAMET JAMET CRAMET OVER JAXSON HAYES – 10:42 PM
Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
Cam Johnson gets his third foul with 9:28 left in the second quarter. Suns cannot afford foul trouble without Booker. Crowder in for Johnson. – 10:36 PM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Johnson back in, replacing Crowder. #Suns up 25-22 after Ingram FTs. – 10:23 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Pelicans go on a 7-0 run and Monty needs a timeout. Suns could use something out of Jae Crowder here soon – 10:08 PM
Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Crowder on Ingram to start. Tied at 5-5 as Ayton scored. #Suns – 10:05 PM
Christian Clark @cclark_13
Pelicans starters:
CJ McCollum
Herb Jones
Brandon Ingram
Jaxson Hayes
Jonas Valanciunas
Suns starters:
Chris Paul
Cam Johnson
Mikal Bridges
Jae Crowder
Deandre Ayton – 9:13 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Pelicans starters tonight:
CJ McCollum
Herb Jones
Brandon Ingram
Jaxson Hayes
Jonas Valanciunas – 9:13 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton getting their pregame routine in. Usually there’d be a third guy out here with ‘em… pic.twitter.com/NSv6OFAIdg – 9:03 PM
Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
For the delay, most guys were already on their schedules for the 6:30 tip so they got their individual work done in their normal slots. Ayton and Crowder are normally last so they are out here at the typical hour before tip to keep the same routine down. pic.twitter.com/A4f9hT4AHy – 8:59 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Monty Williams not tipping his hand on the starting lineup tonight.
Suns other starting 4 – Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton – have played 165 mins without Devin Booker this year.
They have on OffRtg of 110.2 and DefRtg of 98.6 in those minutes. – 8:04 PM
David Hardisty @clutchfans
It’s not popular to say it, but the #Rockets should trade Jae’Sean Tate this offseason. rockets.clutchfans.net/12077/rockets-… – 1:52 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Trey Murphy describing Jaxson Hayes running on fast breaks: “I mean, he’s a freak athlete. He looks like a 7-foot Megatron out there. It’s hard to keep up with that.” – 1:42 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Jaxson Hayes summing up his 2021-22: “It’s been a pretty crazy season for me. Playing at the beginning, then sitting out quite a few games, going to the G League, making my way back to the starting lineup. It’s been a lot of experiences, learning lessons. I wouldn’t change it.” – 1:17 PM
More on this storyline
Clutch Points: In a span of 5 minutes, Jaxson Hayes gets YAMMED on, and LEVELS Jae Crowder 😬 pic.twitter.com/6sYDUVZe9e -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / April 23, 2022
It was determined there was windup, and the contact was deemed unnecessary and excessive. A minute prior, officials also reviewed a play with Hayes after he tried a two-handed block against Landry Shamet at the rim. That play was determined to be a common foul, but tempers were still running high as Hayes and a few Suns exchanged words. -via ESPN / April 23, 2022
Gerald Bourguet: “We’ve always told our guys, we want to win the game, not the fight.” – Monty Williams on the Suns’ response to Jaxson Hayes’ shot on Jae Crowder -via Twitter @GeraldBourguet / April 23, 2022
