Pacers are tops in one thing - Vogel most T'd up coach

The Indiana Pacers are in a fight for one of the last playoff spots, and coach Frank Vogel is in a race that he'd rather not win.

Vogel recently moved ahead of his peers to become the No. 1 leader in technical fouls. On Monday, Vogel got ticked off then was T'd up – his ninth technical foul happening in a tightly contested fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs. All technical fouls award the opposing team a free throw, which San Antonio's Danny Green made. The Pacers eventually lost 95-93.

By Wednesday afternoon, before his team faced the New Orleans Pelicans, Vogel hesitantly addressed his rising total of techs. The nine Ts have also come with a hefty price tag of $22,000 in fines this season.

"It doesn't bother me but it's not something I'm gunning for," Vogel said about being the league's coaching leader in the category.

"We're in a fight. We're going to do everything we can just to be in that fight."

Vogel directs most of his animation on the sideline toward officials, never shy about expressing his opinion about what he perceives to be as a wrong call or, in the case of Monday, a non-call. Though Vogel often showed red-faced fury during moments of the game, he aimed one of his more calmer complaints to lead official Jason Phillips when Aron Baynes' defense helped to create turnover by Luis Scola.

"That was a foul, too," Vogel said. Immediately, Phillips turned in Vogel's direction, and charged the technical foul.

After a day to evaluate the "undeserved" technical – the retort Vogel directed at Phillips after the fourth-quarter whistle – he remained unrepentant about his reputation in picking up penalties.

"I'm always going to fight for our guys," Vogel said. "That's part of this game. In competing, (it's) all of us being in this fight and doing everything we can.

"You have to draw attention to certain things sometimes," Vogel continued, "and hopefully you can do it without getting a technical."

Chicago's Tom Thibodeau remains hot on Vogel's trail after receiving his eighth technical foul on Tuesday night.