Jordan Walsh ejected from Celtics Summer League game after back-to-back techs

Jordan Walsh’s best performance of the summer ended before halftime. The third-year Celtics forward was ejected from Monday night’s Summer League 100-96 loss to the Miami Heat in Las Vegas after picking up two technical fouls in quick succession. The first came after Walsh drew a foul in transition on a tough make against Erik Stevenson. Walsh bumped Stevenson while celebrating the and-one bucket, and the Miami guard shoved him in response, resulting in technicals for both players. Seven seconds later, Walsh made contact with Pelle Larsson near halfcourt, then pushed the Heat wing into the front row of seats. When Larsson turned to accost him, Walsh shoved him again, then screamed as the two were separated. The reckless play and ensuing scrum resulted in another set of double technical fouls on Walsh and Larsson. Since the tech was Walsh’s second, he was booted from the game with 3:34 remaining in the first half. Related Articles Should Celtics sign Damian Lillard? 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In his two-year NBA career, Walsh has averaged 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game (7.2 and 6.2 per 36 minutes) while shooting 36.7% from the field and 26.6% from 3-point range. He has yet to crack head coach Joe Mazzulla’s core rotation, but there will be opportunities for Celtics reserves to earn additional playing time after the team lost nearly half of its regulars this offseason, including rehabbing superstar Jayson Tatum (Achilles, out indefinitely). It’ll be up to players like Walsh and fellow Summer Leaguer Baylor Scheierman to seize those chances. Boston wants Walsh – who, at 21, still is one of the team’s youngest players – to be aggressive at both ends of the floor, but his lack of composure Monday night likely won’t sit well with the Celtics’ shot-callers, many of whom had a literal front-row seat to his ejection. The group of spectators he pushed Larsson into included Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, team president Rich Gotham, vice president of basketball ops Mike Zarren and incoming majority owner Bill Chisholm. With Walsh in the locker room, the Celtics entered the second half trailing 54-41, then clawed their way back in the third quarter. Scheierman fueled that rally with 11 points and three assists in the frame, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Hugo Gonzalez found his footing after a rough first half for the first-round draft pick. Gonzalez, who sat out Sunday’s game for rest purposes, struggled against Miami’s speed and pressure early, racking up four turnovers and five fouls before halftime. He also missed his first seven shots before nailing a three midway through the third that cut Miami’s lead to five. The 19-year-old hit another triple off a Scheierman feed to put Boston ahead early in the fourth. Later, he scored on a putback after a tough offensive rebound and drew a charge to force a Miami turnover. Seven straight points by Kenny Lofton Jr., by back-to-back makes by Kendall Brown and a driving hook shot by Miles Norris gave the Summer C’s a 91-87 lead with less than two minutes remaining, but they couldn’t hold it. Gonzalez’s ball-security issues resurfaced during an ensuing 8-0 Miami run, as his errant pass with 1:22 to play led to an and-one finish at the other end. Scheierman, who paced Boston with 19 points, nine assists and five steals, hit a step-back three to make it a one-point game, but Stevenson drilled one from the corner on the next possession to ice the game for Miami. Five players scored in double figures for the Celtics, including Lofton, Brown and Gonzalez, who’s experiencing some expected growing pains as he makes the leap to the NBA from Spanish club Real Madrid. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting (1-for-7 from three), seven rebounds (three offensive), three assists, seven fouls and six turnovers, and was a game-worst minus-18 in 27 minutes. The loss was a step back for center Charles Bassey (10 points, nine rebounds), who was a minus-15 in 23 minutes. The Celtics outscored the Grizzlies and Knicks by 35 points with Bassey on the court, sparking predictions that the 24-year-old former San Antonio Spur could contend for a roster spot in Boston’s lackluster frontcourt. Lofton, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound big man who starred for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association last season, was a plus-13, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go along with four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 17 minutes. Lofton hasn’t been able to stick in the NBA since debuting in 2022, but he’s a skilled scorer with a versatile offensive game for his size. The Celtics have at least two games remaining on their Summer League schedule. They’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.