Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter was ejected in the third quarter of Friday’s 143–107 NBA Cup loss to the Miami Heat after he lightly batted the ball in frustration and it bounced into the back of referee Che Flores’ right leg, prompting veteran official Tony Brothers to whistle a technical foul and send Huerter off.
Huerter was called for a foul. As Flores faced the scorer’s table to signal the call, Huerter tapped the ball away; it caromed into Flores’ leg without drawing an immediate reaction from the official. Brothers, observing from the opposite sideline, quickly assessed a technical and ruled an ejection, a decision that Huerter and the Bulls’ bench contested but that was upheld after review.
Huerter expressed remorse afterward, describing his action as frustration with the call and insisting there was no intent to hit the official. He apologized, saying he “was not meaning to throw” the ball at Flores and acknowledged he “was frustrated at the call,” adding that if the gesture crossed a line, “obviously it was”.
Kevin Huerter was ejected from tonight’s game on this play: pic.twitter.com/A1KDxxcZqO
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) November 22, 2025
The ejection drew swift scrutiny given the relatively light contact and the appearance that the deflection was not aimed at the official. Video circulated showing the ball glancing off Flores, with fans and commentators labeling the toss one of the season’s softest. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was seen animatedly disputing the call, and the crowd responded with audible frustration as Huerter exited.
The Heat maintained control throughout the second half, rendering the controversy moot for the final margin. Still, Huerter’s ejection became the night’s defining moment for Chicago, underscoring the combustible intersection of frustration, judgment calls, and the NBA’s zero‑tolerance posture on interactions with referees.
