The New York Knicks and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv played at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in a game to promote friendship with proceeds going to underprivileged children in Israel. Nothing wrong with this story until Al Harrington was called for charging and complained to the referee. Maccabi coach Pini Gershon began to argue with the ref too, received his second tech, and was ejected. But not in his mind.

The scab refs have to use better judgment. Anything short of the Maccabi coach going Lou Pinella should’ve garnered a nod and a “I don’t understand a word you’re saying” look.

The man with the white-beard seen intervening is a rabbi, and we were close to an international incident when Nate Robinson added himself to the problem on the court.

So Nate Robinson decided to find out if basketball was going to resume and worked his way into the argument.

“I was over there just trying to figure out what was up,” said Robinson, who added that the coach and the rabbi “started speaking a different language,” which was Hebrew.

“It threw me off,” Robinson said. “I needed a translator.”

What’s Hebrew for ‘Likewise’?

At Knicks Exhibition, Rabbi Intervenes When Maccabi Coach Won’t Leave [NY Times]