NBA Says Dwight Howard Incorrectly Ejected After 2nd Technical Foul

Atlanta Hawks big man Dwight Howard was ejected in the third quarter of his team's 114-98 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday for picking up his second technical foul.

The NBA later said Howard shouldn't have been ejected (via Harry Lyles Jr. of SB Nation): "The second technical foul called tonight on Atlanta's Dwight Howard for hanging on the rim (4:03 remaining in third quarter at Boston) should have been deemed non-unsportsmanlike and should not have resulted in his ejection."

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Howard picked up his first technical foul for shoving Celtics forward Al Horford after the former Hawks All-Star fouled him at the 9:31 mark of the third. Twelve seconds of game time earlier, officials had reviewed a play during which Howard grabbed Isaiah Thomas near his neck.

Howard turned heads while exiting the floor following his ejection:

Fox Sports Hawks shared Howard's postgame comments, including what he said he told his teammates about keeping his composure:

Despite exiting early, Howard was a force in the paint for Atlanta and finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. He helped the Hawks snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 33-26 on the season.