Vučević didn’t intend payback with hard foul on Allen originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Payback was not on Nikola Vučević’s mind when he committed a hard foul on a driving Grayson Allen during the Chicago Bulls’ 127-106 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night.
In fact, Vučević didn’t know it was Allen that he had clobbered until after the fact.
“I just saw somebody drive, and I saw that I was late (to rotate),” Vučević told reporters after the game. “I was trying to swipe at the ball, but because he (Brook Lopez) pushed me, it kind of looked worse than it did.”
Indeed, Vučević’s swipe went haywire when Bucks center Brook Lopez hip-checked him from behind, altering his balance and thrusting his momentum wildly into Allen’s path. That led to an awkward clothesline as Allen launched into a layup attempt, which sent the Bucks guard sprawling to the floor.
Lopez was called for an offensive foul for the maneuver in the moment, and only after review was Vučević assessed a technical for the blow he delivered Allen.
Opinions differed across party lines on the ultimate ruling.
“I think it crossed the line,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said of Vučević’s foul. “The refs thought it was not enough to be flagrant. It was just a dead ball technical foul.”
Added DeMar DeRozan: “Nah. If anything, the foul happened even harder with Lopez pushing him into him (Vučević). But I felt like even with that Vooch was going for the ball. I didn’t think it should have been a technical foul.
Budenholzer offered some insight into the explanation for the ruling, saying that James Capers told him the officials reviewed the play “four to five times,” but found no evidence of a wind-up on Vučević’s part.
“My intention wasn’t to foul or to injure or anything,” Vučević said. “I think it just looked worse in the moment. I mean, when you look at the replay, it’s not even that bad. I don’t even understand why I got a tech for it. My intention wasn’t payback or…