Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced Friday by Joe Dumars, NBA Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.
DeMar DeRozan Criticized The Refs After The Kings’ 116-110 Loss To The Denver Nuggets On Wednesday Night
DeRozan made his comments to the media following Sacramento’s 116-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night at Ball Arena. The Kings were up 93-84 after the third quarter.
However, the Nuggets went on to outscore Sacramento 32-17 in the fourth quarter. Helping Denver’s comeback was a 13-4 free-throw discrepancy in their favor, something DeRozan addressed during his postgame interview.
The following was released by the NBA: pic.twitter.com/f6rp3tjYM0
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 7, 2025
“The refs were terrible. Terrible as s—t. It’s as simple as that. There was a bunch of times we got hit, got smacked. It was three, four shots I took, clearly got hit, got smacked,” DeRozan told The Sacramento Bee.
“They get the same call on the other end. Throws off our whole rhythm. Gives them momentum at home. Makes it tough on us to execute. It was a game we should have had.”
Kings Interim Head Coach Doug Christie Wants His Players To Focus On Playing The Game, Not The Officials
DeMar DeRozan recorded 35 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 42 minutes of action. He finished 14-of-32 (43.8%) shooting from the field, 4-of-6 (66.7%) from 3-point range, and 3-of-4 (75%) at the foul line.
Kings interim head coach Doug Christie said afterward that he wanted his players to worry about playing the game, not critiquing the refs’ performance.
“And that’s what I expect our of them, and they know this,” Christie said. “So when they start talking to the refs and barking at the refs, like, yo, chill that out. We don’t do that. We’re here to hoop. Let me deal with [the refs], and I will state our case and live to fight another day.
“I want their minds focused on the game plan. For the most part, we did that. There was a little bit where we got discombobulated, but in a high-leverage situation, it’s to be expected.”
The Kings had their four-game win streak snapped by the Nuggets. They now host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. Sacramento is 32-29 and sits ninth in the Western Conference standings.
The 2024-25 NBA regular season ends Sunday, April 13th.
