Shoving a coach in the middle of a game, especially the opposing head coach, is never a good idea.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane learned that the hard way Tuesday night.
Bane, in the first half of Memphis’ 111-109 win in Game 5 opening-round playoff series against the Timberwolves at FedExForum, got into a brief, yet heated, altercation with Minnesota head coach Chris Finch on the sideline.
Late in the second quarter, Bane went to pass the ball in near the Timberwolves’ bench. As he got into position, Bane shoved Finch out of the way, prompting a rather colorful response from Finch that had fans sitting behind them at the ready.
Naturally, as you can’t put hands on the opposing coach, Bane was hit with a technical foul.
Bane finished the night with 25 points, 15 of which came in the first half. It was Ja Morant, though, who lifted the Grizzlies out of a double-digit hole in the second half.
Morant threw down a ridiculous poster to close out the third quarter, and then sank a game-winning layup over Jarred Vanderbilt to give Memphis the two-point win and a 3-2 series lead heading into Friday’s Game 6.
