Why did Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant get ejected from the game Saturday?

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was ejected from their 115-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night after he received his second technical foul of the game as they headed into halftime.

At the time Morant was thrown out, it was not clear why he was slapped with the second technical. The 23-year-old was surprised by the call, and his teammates protested it, insisting that Morant had not been speaking to a referee at the time but rather to a fan who was sitting courtside.

Basketball fans immediately took to social media to discuss what had happened and to express their confusion regarding the incident.

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NBA official explains Morant’s ejection

NBA official John Goble finally shed some light on Morant’s ejection in a report issued after the game. The first technical was called after the player’s apparent frustration that a foul wasn’t called as he was trying to receive a pass. He was given a technical foul after that “for use of profanity directed at an official.”

The second technical, the one which caused confusion and Morant’s ejection, was given “for making a comment questioning the integrity of the officials,” according to Goble.

The All-Star player had appeared to be talking to a fan when he was kicked out of the game with a minute to go in the second quarter. A viral video showed that after he was sent to the locker room, Morant spoke to the courtside fans through his father’s cell phone.

This was the second time that Morant was thrown out of a game in recent weeks. He has now received a total of seven technical fouls this season, which is the fourth highest number in the NBA.