UPDATE: League rescinds Kobe’s Monday technical, now three away from suspension

UPDATE 1:19 pm: Kobe Bryant was right, the league has rescinded Kobe’s technical from Monday night.

Kobe was complaining about not getting a call (shocking!) right at the end of the half on a half-court heave. You don’t get that call unless someone goes Jadeveon Clowney in tackling the shooter. But it wasn’t the ref Kobe was talking to that made the call, it was Joey Crawford running in from the other side. In a very Joey Crawford way. The league understands so they rescinded the tech.

That leaves Kobe at 13, still just three off being suspended for a game.

10:35 am: Monday night in Denver, the referees were calling it tight for whatever reason — they issued three technical in the first half. And it wasn’t like these were elbow-to-the-head obvious calls, they hit up George Karl and anyone else complaining about calls.

Kobe Bryant knew that when he felt he was fouled on the end-of-half heave from halfcourt at the buzzer. Kobe felt he was fouled, but nobody ever gets that call, still Kobe walked up to referee Josh Tiven and complained about the call.

Joey Crawford rushed in from the other side and hit Kobe with a technical — his 14th of the season.

That leads the league. It also means he is going to get a letter from the league office reminding him that if he gets to 16 he gets suspended for a game.

Kobe believes the league will take back Monday’s reports Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register. But whether they do or don’t Kobe needs to be careful because the Lakers are fighting to make the playoffs, every game matters and they can’t afford to be without him for a game. And this season in particular a frustrated Kobe likes to argue with the referees. Mike D’Antoni discussed it after the game, as reported by Ding.

“He has to control that,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We can’t afford to lose him for a game, not like that.”

Not at all. The Lakers remain three games back of the Rockets (who have an easy schedule the rest of the way) and 3.5 back of the Jazz (who have a much harder schedule). The Rockets are playing well and the Jazz didn’t trade Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap at the deadline — neither team is coming back to the Lakers, they have to go get them. And they can’t do that without Kobe there every night.