The Denver Nuggets suffered another loss in the NBA, this time against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Following a defeat in Cleveland the previous evening, the team expressed frustration over officiating. Coach Michael Malone, who had already been vocal about the issue with the team’s low free throw rate, took his frustrations to the referees and was ejected before the first quarter ended.

Before he left the court, Nikola Jokic also expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating and got ejected with a light second technical. The questionable nature of their ejections has brought attention to the quick-trigger and thin-skinned nature of NBA refereeing this season. Some argue that a balance needs to be struck between maintaining control of the game and allowing for passionate play and expression of emotion from players.

Despite there being a need for authority in games, many believe that allowing players to show their emotions leads to more compelling play that appeals to audiences. While it is important to maintain order during NBA matches, some feel that it comes at a cost to entertainment value when important players are removed from play due to ejections.