NEW YORK — Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Sunday for public criticism of the officiating on a foul against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo that the referees admitted they got wrong.
Rivers made the comments after the Bucks’ 115-114 loss at Charlotte on Saturday, saying: “I thought the final play was the ref blowing a call. This is back-to-back games now where on the final play there has been an incorrect call made.”
With the Hornets trailing by one, LaMelo Ball drove the right side of the lane and slipped and fell. Replays didn’t appear to show any contact, but Antetokounmpo was whistled for the foul with 7.3 seconds left. Ball made both free throws to give Charlotte the lead.
“LaMelo Ball fell. He just fell down,” Rivers said. “Nobody was near him. He slipped on his own. We come up with the ball and the game is over. So back-to-back games now we have had a call made against us that is incorrect. We were lucky in Detroit the kid missed two free throws. Tonight LaMelo Ball made the free throws.”
The Bucks did not have a challenge left. If they had, the call would have been overturned on replay, crew chief Curtis Blair said afterward.
“During live play we called illegal leg-to-leg contact,” Blair said. “During postgame review when we looked at the play there was no illegal contact on the play.”
The NBA and ABC/ESPN touted huge ratings from the league’s Christmas Day games, but Bill Simmons thinks one of those games that drew big numbers highlig
Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesLos Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard could be just a week away from making his return to the court.The veteran wing is tar
The Dallas Mavericks got some terrible news learning that Luka Doncic is out for an extended period.Their championship window is no
LeBron James is always in one of the marquee matchups on Christmas. On Wednesday, he helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 115-113 victory over Steph Curry an