SLAB
Hall of Famer
My guess is they think they saw Westbrook intentionally throw some fingers in his face.
I have no problem with the refs getting tight on this crap. These NBA players know exactly where their body is and their defender's body is at all times. There is virtually no accidental facial contact. Incidental, maybe. Not accidental. There is no place in the game for eye pokes, elbow/forarms to the face. At all.
Hasn't the rule pretty much been "you touch face, it's a tech or flagrant" for a few seasons now?