OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Following a disappointing 125-107 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff and players expressed strong displeasure with the game’s officiating.
Head coach JJ Redick took issue with how referees handle calls involving LeBron James, while guard Austin Reaves felt he was treated inappropriately by the officiating crew. Multiple Lakers players approached the referees at center court following the contest, with Reaves directly addressing crew chief John Goble about an incident during a jump ball situation.
“At the end of the day, we’re grown men and I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell in my face like that,” Reaves said. “I told him that. I wasn’t disrespectful. I told him if I did that to him first, I would’ve gotten a tech. I feel like the only reason I didn’t get a tech was because he knew he was in the wrong. I felt disrespected.”
The foul trouble was evident for Los Angeles, with Reaves, Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes each accumulating five personal fouls. Oklahoma City attempted 26 free throws compared to 21 for the Lakers. The defeat puts Los Angeles in a challenging 2-0 series hole as they return home for Saturday’s Game 3.
Redick expressed frustration that a top-seeded team led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appears to receive favorable treatment from officials.
“They’re hard enough to play,” Redick said. “They’re hard to play, and you’ve got to be able to just call them. They foul. They do foul.”
Despite his continued ability to drive to the basket at 41 years old, James has only attempted five free throws through the first two games of the series.
“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen. The smaller guys, because they can be theatric, they typically draw more fouls, and the bigger players that are built like LeBron, it’s hard for them,” Redick said. “They get clobbered, and he got clobbered again tonight a bunch.”
Throughout the game, Lakers players showed visible frustration with both calls and non-calls from the officiating crew. Meanwhile, Thunder players maintained their composure, which Redick believes may work in their favor.
“I think some of the reason that they’re officiated the way they are is because they don’t show emotion,” Redick said. “And that’s a credit to them. I mean, they really take the emotion out of the game. They’re super tight-knit. They don’t complain to the officials, and maybe they’re the beneficiaries of that, I don’t know.”
