Nets star D'Angelo Russell may not have been an active participant in Brooklyn's game against cross-town rivals the New York Knicks on Monday (January 15) - but his inactive status didn't put him above the law, Russell would learn, after he was hit with a technical foul for mocking an official.
Prior to being issued the infraction, Russell had been arguing with referee Bryan Forte over Tyler Zeller's blocking foul on Enes Kanter with 7:56 left in the third quarter. What finally got him pegged with the tech was the ref taking notice of the sarcastic manner in which Russell began clapping after the foul. Needless to say, the 21 year old could only shake his head in disagreement over the call.
With word going around that Russell was finally prepared to return after missing 26 games to a knee injury, there was already some frustration from fans that he didn't suit up. The unnecessary foul would only add to the lowly mood from Brooklyn fans, who watched their team eventually lose the matchup by a score of 119-104.
Russell hasn't plaid a game since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 17. He has been practicing since January 8, however, and is believed to be on the verge of coming back in the not so distant future.
