More on Officiating Complaints
Austin Krell: When asked for comment on Joel Embiid’s being fined for complaining about officiating, Doc Rivers joked: “Joel Embiid got fined? Wow…dammit.” When the fact that Nick Nurse was not fined for his comments was brought up, Rivers declined comment and said, “Does that sound fair?”
JD Shaw: Sixers center Joel Embiid has also been fined $15,000 for public criticism of the officiating, the NBA announced.
The Pelicans shot 42 free throws to the Suns' 15, and it was a 17-2 disparity in the first half. The Suns were called for 12 more fouls in what was a classic physical playoff game. "You can slice it any way you want to," Williams said. "In a playoff game that physical, [the disparity] is amazing. Coaches shouldn't have to come up to the microphone and feel like they're going to get their heads cut off for speaking the truth."
Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins often has a cool, calm demeanor, but he felt the need to stand up for his players after their 119-118 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of their NBA playoff series Saturday. "In my opinion, one of the most poorly-officiated games I've ever seen in my NBA career. All five of our starters are borderline fouled out in the first quarter."
Jenkins also pointed out one play where he said officials blew the whistle before contact happened on a Timberwolves player. "I've never seen a more inconsistent, arrogant officiated game," Jenkins said. "It's embarrassing. I'm at a loss for words. I'm not going to go as far as saying that's the reason we lost, but I'm going to let it be known that's messed up."
Geoff Calkins: Taylor Jenkins: “I’ve never seen a more inconsistent and arrogant officiated game.” Also, “From the get go it was foul foul foul foul. It’s embarrassing.”
Meghan Triplett: “In my opinion one of the most poorly officiated games I've ever seen in my NBA career…” “I've never seen a more inconsistent, arrogant officiated game. So I'll take whatever hits coming my way…” -Taylor Jenkins after the @Memphis Grizzlies game
Meghan Triplett: Dillon Brooks said, “I’ve got his check for him” if Taylor Jenkins gets fined for his remarks on the officiating tonight.
Meghan Triplett: "When I was growing up [and] when I was in the league the first 3 years when I watched playoff basketball, there was barely any calls called. Let the players play and figure it out. I felt like they just wanted to run the show..." -Dillon Brooks on the officiating in Game 4
Damichael Cole: Ja Morant said he’s also willing to take a fine. He wasn’t happy about the officiating, like Taylor Jenkins. “S—-t terrible. I don’t even foul like that.” “I’m right behind coach. I’ll take mine too.”
Drew Hill: There have been 210 fouls called over the four games between the Grizzlies and Timberwolves. That’s 52.5 fouls per game. The league average per game this season was 39.3 fouls per game.
Brad Townsend: As Luka Doncic sat down behind a microphone and waited for question from reporters, his eyes briefly bulged and he said loudly enough for the mic to pick it up: "Forty-two?" Yep, Utah shot 42 free-throws to Dallas' 23.
Tim Bontemps: As he walked off the court, Joel Embiid gave a *very* sarcastic golf clap to all three of the officials, and then turned around and did it twice more as he continued to walk off.
Barry Jackson: Foul calls were pretty even - Hawks 26, Heat 24. But Trae Young just said: "If the refs are gonna let them be that physical and not call fouls, it’s going to be hard" to win.
Derek Bodner: Joel Embiid says he told Nick Nurse "Respectfully, to stop bitching about calls." "I feel like every foul was legit, and should have been more, honestly
Tim Bontemps: Nick Nurse on his late exchange with Joel Embiid: “(Embiid) said, ‘I’m gonna keep making all my free throws if you keep fouling me,’ and I said, ‘Well, you might have to.’”
Kyle Neubeck: Nick Nurse continued his stump speech regarding the officials pregame tonight. Said there were elbows and “an open hand slap” from the Sixers in the first game that went uncalled. “I hope they have enough guts to at least stop the game and look at that stuff tonight”
Rob Schaefer: Billy Donovan on Patrick Williams' foul on Giannis while jockeying for rebound position down stretch: "I thought it was over-the-back (on Giannis), just from my angle." But said Bulls need to do better job moving on to next play
The treatment of Jokic might not have been criminal, but it’s certainly farcical. What does the once and future MVP have to do to earn a more favorable whistle from the refs? “My friend,” Jokic said, “I think I’m going to get fined if I answer.”
Tim MacMahon: Luka Doncic, talking to Mavs PR man @scootertomlin : “I asked him, ‘How is that not a foul? How is that not a foul?’ He T’d me up. That’s unfair. That’s unfair.”
Ky Carlin: Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been fined $15,000 for criticizing the officials in last night’s loss to the Sixers. He was upset about Joel Embiid and James Harden getting the amount of free throws they got. #Sixers
The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report, which was released Monday afternoon, showed multiple late-game calls that went against the Cavaliers -- and played a prominent role in the 112-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
With 17.4 seconds remaining, All-Star Darius Garland was fouled by Philadelphia center Joel Embiid. According to a review of the play, Embiid reached across Garland and made contact to his left arm -- a play that should’ve resulted in two free throws and could’ve put Cleveland ahead by one. Bickerstaff singled out that egregious missed call in his postgame remarks.
Tim MacMahon: Jason Kidd just got ejected for his first time as the Mavs’ head coach. Tony Brothers tossed him. Not sure Kidd really wants to watch the rest of this dud in Washington anyway.
Jorge Sierra: Kevin Durant complains after the game vs. Milwaukee: "I'm hurting. That's two games in a row where players walked up underneath me when I'm trying to make a basketball play."
Alex Schiffer: Kyrie Irving said he thought the free throw disparity was a major difference in the game. Said the Nets deserve some blame, perhaps the refs do, too. His bigger problem was the Bucks were "reckless at times" with a few of their fouls.
Stefan Bondy: Kyrie Irving on the Bucks: “They were playing pretty physical. I think they were a little reckless at times. Just on a lot of their fouls. Or a few of their fouls. That’s who they are. But I think it was just reckless at times.”
Will Guillory: The NBA's L2M Report determined that there wasn't a foul on Jose Alvarado's final shot in last night's loss to the Spurs. It did come back with 2 incorrect non-calls, though -- one on the Pels, one on the Spurs. pic.twitter.com/WMcMde2uAZ
James Edwards III: Casey on Cade Cunningham's lack of free throws: "He'll earn it. He's getting hit. Maybe he has to get an act. ... I see guys falling like they got hit with a baseball bat."
Mike McGraw: Tristan Thompson was fined $20,000 for directing profane language at a referee at the end of the New Orleans game, the #NBA announced. #Bulls
KC Johnson: Ruling from league office
Reserve big man Tristan Thompson had a meltdown late in the game, but it wasn’t because of the play of his teammates. It was because of the officials. After he picked up two technicals expressing his displeasure with a review, he dropped a series of expletives before being escorted off the court that likely will cost him a fine with the league office. Lost in the bad defeat to a 31-42 Pelicans team was a stellar performance by Zach LaVine, who scored a season-high 39 points on 12-for-23 shooting. And as frustrated as he was with the loss, getting in the face of teammates just isn’t in his personality. “I think everybody is on high alert,’’ LaVine said. “You’re not going to tell somebody to act a different way. I’m not going to try to turn into something I’m not. I think that’s fake. People can see through that. I think everybody knows what’s ahead of us and what we need to do.’’
JD Shaw: Knicks star Julius Randle has been fined $40,000 for directing hostile language toward a game official. Randle is the fifth player to be fined by the NBA today, with the total now at $140,000.
Mark Medina: NBA issued Draymond Green with a $25,000 fine for "directing profane language toward a game official" during his ejection in the Warriors' two-point loss to San Antonio on Sunday.
Jokes aside, he went on to explain in a calm-but-firm rant that he feels defenders are being allowed to get away with excessive contact on plays where he goes to the hoop. “I’m intentionally trying to get to the basket, get to the free-throw line, and I’m airballing layups — that’s not me. And I just felt like, at that point, I just had to sound off because it was just getting ridiculous,” he said. “… I’m not going to make this solely a ‘Donovan being officiated different’ thing, but I do feel there are times when I don’t get to those calls, and I was tired of it. “I am tired of it because I’m working my a-- off to get downhill and try to create [for] our offense,” Don added. “… I’m constantly being hand-checked or stopped with two hands because I’m so strong. That can’t keep continuing to happen. It leads to turnovers, bad shots … it puts everyone in a bad spot.”
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has declared he is done ranting at referees and has discovered a trick to help prevent him from venting his frustration when the whistle doesn't go his way. "It's a funny thing -- I just start singing a song in my head," Doncic said after Friday night's 111-101 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, when he had a frustrating performance (17 points, 5-of-20 shooting, six turnovers) but no confrontations with the officials. "One of my favorite songs I pick and just start singing and let [the frustration] pass.
"I think these last couple of games I've been great with officials. If I think I'm fouled, I just go to him and talk to him normal. But that's it. It's got to be this way." Doncic, who added that he decides between a Slovenian and a Serbian song, has been called for an NBA-leading 15 technical fouls this season, one of which was rescinded after review by the league office. That means he is two technical fouls shy of an automatic one-game suspension, which is levied when a player reaches 16 technicals during the regular season and every two technicals thereafter.
Having apparently seen enough of his team retching all over itself, Popovich picked an argument with referee Bennie Adams and got himself mercifully ejected. He left the court with a wink. Unfortunately for Hammon and everyone else on the Spurs’ roster, they had to stick around to watch the rest of the kiester-kicking the Pelicans administered. C.J. McCollum went for 20 points and Naji Marshall added 18 off the bench as New Orleans handed the Spurs their most lopsided defeat of the season.
BasketNews.com: Gregg Popovich gets ejected in the 2nd quarter and winks at his team before exiting the floor 😉😂 🎥 @NBATV
In terms of controlling emotions during games, the Knicks haven’t set the best example. Thibodeau’s complaining to the referees is typically loud and demonstrative. Top executive William Wesley had also been animated during games toward referees, especially on the road, and was spotted last season storming around in a tantrum behind the basket in Barclays Center.
James Ham: Tech on Bertans.
James Ham: Another tech on Dallas. This one on Kidd.
Anthony Chiang: Last 2 Minute report says no-call that led to jump ball late in last night’s Heat-Bucks game was correct ruling. “Antetokounmpo (MIL) and Butler (MIA) arrive at the ball simultaneously during the inbound pass and the body contact that occurs is incidental.”
The Kings were not pleased with the officiating at the end of the game. Jokic nearly fouled out late in the fourth quarter, but officials ignored a questionable screen on Fox and later overturned a call that would have sent Barnes to the free-throw line. “It’s interesting,” Barnes said. “You get fouled on a play, no call. You talk to the refs. They say they missed it and you kind of go from there. It happens once, it’s fine, but when it happens multiple times, you sit at the end of the game and wonder. That’s six to eight to 10 free throws, right? Well, what could have happened?”
James Edwards III: Tatum just got T'd up for telling the ref "That's a b------- a-- call"
Vincent Goodwill: Wow, officials eject Hamidou Diallo for “touching an official” during play. Looked like he was trying to get his balance coming from out of bounds. The officiating has gotten ridiculous
Following a series of officiating reviews that slowed the fourth quarter to a glacial pace, the Lakers lost to the Clippers 105-102 — a loss that could have significant implications with the two teams closely connected in the standings. A very upset Lakers coach Frank Vogel called the decisions “B.S.” — his issue with a final-minute review that took the ball from the Lakers with a chance to lead and gave it to the Clippers. After Russell Westbrook missed a go-ahead shot, James grabbed the ball and tried to save it, with the Clippers’ Robert Covington swatting the ball out of bounds. Vogel called a timeout with nine seconds on the shot clock to call a play, but the Clippers challenged the call — specifically whether James was out of bounds or not. “It definitely impacted the moment,” James said.
Vogel passionately argued afterward that the two plays weren’t connected — James being out and Covington being out — and that the Clippers shouldn’t have been able to challenge a play (James being out of bounds) when it had passed and play had continued. “I disagree strongly with the ruling,” he said. “…It’s just wrong.” A lengthy replay ruling confirmed that James stepped out of bounds before saving the ball. “I’ve never seen that,” James said.
Tim MacMahon: Per Second Spectrum, Luka Doncic was 1-of-3 with a shot-clock violation in 4 isos vs. Rudy Gobert in 4th. Doncic: "I like the matchup. I think twice I got fouled, but I know the ref – he won’t call a foul. I know every time, he don’t like me, but I thought I got fouled."
Ryan Miller: Rudy Gobert is told that Luka Donic said Gobert was fouling him. Gobert shrugs... "I'm not a ref."
Eric Walden: Rudy on the Luka iso: "He knows I'm trying to take away his stepback. And then he's driving and I know he's going to try to use my body and then stop, so I've got to stay balanced and absorb the contact. And then he's going to try and get me in the air, so I've got to stay down."
NBA Central: Ken Mauer admits Russell Westbrook receives an unfair whistle “We miss on him and we miss on him because he was so strong, he’d finish. He’d get fouled, and we’d missed plays on him. And I’d go back and look at plays and I’d come to him after the game,” pic.twitter.com/Xz4w95J2qS
Clutch Points: Patrick Beverley and Gary Trent Jr. getting into it on this jumpball. Timberwolves and Raptors HYPED early 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9PvVBYYWu2
Jimmy Butler: There are some real rivalries out there. I just think the game has changed in a lot of ways. They’re not letting you get into no brawls no more. Nobody’s going to let you do that. I wish that they would let us do that a little bit, if I’m just being honest. I really do think they’re still there. The game has just changed. It’s not as much banging and knocking people to the ground anymore. You can’t do it like that—you get a flagrant 1, a flagrant 2, a tech, something. I wish it would go back to that time.
James never holds back from complaining when he thinks calls are missed. In fact, he has a reputation for being a bit of a whiner. But he also rarely goes too far. To put things in perspective, James' teammates on the Lakers, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, lead the league with 12 technical fouls each this season. James has none. And over his 19-season career, he has been ejected from only two games. (Compare that to Rasheed Wallace, who had 317 technical fouls and was ejected from a record 29 games over his 16-season career).
Over the years, Popovich has massaged his technique with officials. He and Crawford ended up developing a deep mutual respect, even though at times their jobs were adversarial. "As serious as Pop is on the sidelines, that man is a funny guy and a very respectful guy of the profession," said Crawford, who retired in 2017 following a 31-year career as an NBA referee. "He would crack jokes every now and then, and you could crack jokes back to him. You could be in a heated conversation with Pop, and it will end with both guys laughing."
Chris Kirschner: Trae Young: "When Tony Brothers mentions to me how many years he's reffed in this league, I don't give a damn. That just gets fired me up. I don't think I'm emotionally drunk. I'm just competitive. It brings the best out of me and my teammates."
Ryan Miller: Mike Conley on the non-calls: "It's always one of the things I wonder if I'm more of a guy that gets techs and argues a lot maybe I get more respect in that manner. For me, it just seems pretty A to B, like you should be able to make the easy call."
Khobi Price: Magic guard Cole Anthony has been fined $25,000 for directing profane and derogatory remarks toward a game official, the league announced. The incident happened in Wednesday's loss to the Clippers.
Sarah Todd: This is the foul that Hassan Whiteside just said was "bull****. And I stand by that." pic.twitter.com/MrY0hS9e4o
Tony Jones: Whiteside: that call was bullshit. I stand on that. He said Smith jumped in front of him and fell down
The Timberwolves were 26-for-31 from the charity stripe, while the Nets took just 15 free throws. Harden — outplayed by former Net D’Angelo Russell — shot 4 of 13 and was just 4 of 4 from the line, not getting the benefit of the whistle. “I don’t know [why],” Harden said. “When I go to the basket it’s the same calls that other guys are getting. Obviously you can’t call all of them, but there’s ones where there’s clearly stiff-arms and trips and things; but on the other end there’s no consistency. It’s frustrating, but whatever. [This] was a tough one for us.”
When Nash and Harden were asked if the All-Star wasn’t getting the benefit of the whistles he always had, both emphatically said no. “I just go to the basket. I have the right to do that,” said Harden, who added he’s gotten no explanation from the refs. “Nothing. Honestly. Like I didn’t see it, or I didn’t think it was a foul. But it’s clear — extremely clear. I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve got to keep going. That’s not going to stop me. Keep getting to the basket, keep being aggressive and keep making plays for my team.”
Dave Early: Reporter: "Do you feel like you're getting the benefit of the whistle in the same way [you have in the past]?" James Harden "No." Reporter: "Why do you think that is?" James Harden: "That's a good question. I mean, I dunno. I don't even want to talk about it." pic.twitter.com/O8og8HG1Pe
Brian Lewis: Kyrie Irving: "We just want to start the game with a consistent whistle." Says Harden gets fouled "and deserves that respect" of the appropriate call. #Nets
Nash said that he feels Harden is the poster child for the new emphasis from officials this season. "I think it's been well-documented that he's one of the poster childs," Nash said. "I think the start of the year was rough, [the officials] were really trying to correct the point of emphasis. I think they overcorrected. Now we come back to the middle, but tonight was one of those nights where I felt like some of the calls that should go his way didn't."
Chicago head coach Billy Donovan had strong words about the play, and about Allen, after the game. "It was really bad," he began. "It was really, really bad. We lost Patrick (Williams) on a flagrant foul, a pretty significant injury. I said this after the game, (New York's) Mitchell Robinson was trying to make a legitimate play on the basketball. For Alex to be in the air and for him to take him down like that, he could’ve ended his career.
"He has a history of this. That to me was really, it was really dangerous. I hope the league takes a hard look at something like that because they could have really, really seriously hurt him. He’s dealing with his wrist right now. I don’t know to what extent his wrist is, but just being there, it was really, really dangerous to go after somebody like that. "I personally thought it was – it wasn’t good. It was not good. For it to be even be extended to a Flagrant 2 and be thrown out of the game, clearly the officials must have felt there was some intent there, the way he yanked him and snapped him to the floor, his head bounced off the floor. Really, really, really dangerous play."
Scott Grodsky: Grayson Allen has been ejected for this flagrant foul.
K.C. Johnson: Caruso on Allen foul: "Dude just grabbed me out of the air. Kind of bullshit."
Rob Schaefer: Alex Caruso, asked if Grayson Allen came over to check on him after taking him out: “No.”
This was the first time Allen has been called for a flagrant foul this season and the second such foul in his career -- although he was tossed from a Summer League game in 2019 after committing two flagrant fouls within seconds of each other. "I don't think Grayson's a dirty player," Bucks forward Khris Middleton said. "He's been great with us all season long. Competing. Defending. Never really crossing the line. So I think we're all disappointed to see him ejected for that foul."
During postgame interviews, officiating crew chief Ben Taylor said none of the officials saw the infraction and that there is no mechanism in place for such a play to be reviewed. “That was also horse s---, too,” Kuzma said of the play after the game. “You’ve got Steve Nash blocking the ref’s view. He can’t see s---. I don’t know what else to say. It’s very unfortunate, but you’ve just got to live with it.”
Jon Krawczynski: Referee Bill Kennedy, from the pool report, on Edwards' ejection: "The first was for an overt gesture and the use of profanity directed toward an official. The second was for aggressively approaching the official while continuing his use of profanity."
Dane Moore: D'Angelo Russell: "The refs made up some stuff throughout the game. It was all over the place, honestly. There was a few plays -- and I'm not saying it was the refs -- but I'm sayin it was a few calls. There was a play where I'm not sure if it was a flagrant or a jump ball."
Dane Moore: Karl-Anthony Towns on the flagrant foul: "I've never seen it in basketball before. I've never seen it in the NBA... All I'll say is Dirk Nowitzki got put on the floor for the same shot." No more on the topic from KAT. He said, "telling the truth gets you fined, so no comment".
With just under six minutes left in the game, the Wizards faced a 109-103 deficit. Spencer Dinwiddie handled the ball at the 3-point line and attempted a pass to Kyle Kuzma in the corner, but Nets coach David Vanterpool stuck his hand out from the bench and forced a slight misdirection. It was enough for Kuzma to bobble the ball, which was recovered by Nets forward Kessler Edwards. With just under six minutes left in the game, the Wizards faced a 109-103 deficit. Spencer Dinwiddie handled the ball at the 3-point line and attempted a pass to Kyle Kuzma in the corner, but Nets coach David Vanterpool stuck his hand out from the bench and forced a slight misdirection. It was enough for Kuzma to bobble the ball, which was recovered by Nets forward Kessler Edwards.
