Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso was whistled for goaltending and assessed a technical foul following an unusual defensive play in which he swatted away a layup attempt with his shoe.
The sequence began with a goaltending call, and officials then issued Caruso a technical foul for an illegal defensive move tied to the shoe swat. The play resulted in two separate infractions on the same possession.
Rare defensive violation
Using equipment to make a play on the ball is not permitted under the rules, and the officials ruled the shoe swat as an illegal act in addition to the goaltend. Caruso’s attempt to prevent the basket ultimately led to the technical foul being added on top of the initial call.