The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics closed out NBA Rivals Week. However, it finished in a dramatic fashion that the league did not want. The game went into overtime as the Celtics came away victorious by a final score of 125-121. However, the game should have probably not went into overtime. In the final seconds of a tied game, LeBron James drove the lane and missed a layup. After seeing replays though, one can see that Jayson Tatum clearly fouled James on his arm.
James had a very dramatic reaction for obvious reasons and Patrick Beverley got arguably the most entertaining technical foul off all time. The defensive point guard brought out a camera onto the floor to mock the official which was an obvious technical foul that would have made Rasheed Wallace smile. However, Anthony Davis also had interesting remarks on the officiating after the game which has the whole NBA community buzzing today.
Anthony Davis Calls Out NBA Officials Following Controversial No-Call on LeBron James
Anthony Davis After the Game
It is a bit surprising that AD has not been fined for his remarks after the Celtics defeat yet. Especially when you consider how touchy the league is when anyone criticizes their own officials. Here is what Davis officially said in the locker room following the Lakers defeat:
“It’s bullshit. It’s unacceptable. I guarantee you nothing’s gonna happen to the ref. We got cheated tonight. It’s a blatant foul… Refs were bad tonight.”
Anthony Davis RIPPED the refs after missing the late foul on LeBron James 😳
(via @jovanbuha)pic.twitter.com/rvlA6VwvBH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 29, 2023
While his remarks are strong, Anthony Davis does make some great points here. We are constantly seeing players and coaches being fined to criticizing NBA officials for poor performances. Meanwhile, the officials seems to get a pass no matter how egregious the calls or missed calls are. Even with the two-minute reports come out detailing the missed calls. Say what you will about either team, but LeBron James should have been awarded with two free-throws after his potential game-winning drive to the hoop. However, Anthony Davis was not the only one with strong feelings about the NBA officiating.
Others Make Strong Statements About NBA Officials
The Lakers’ head coach, Darvin Ham, defended his star player after the loss. Here is what he had to say:
‘The best player on Earth can’t get a call. It’s amazing, as much as you try not to put it on the officiating, it’s becoming increasingly difficult.”
The Lakers Celtics matchup was not the only game that questionable officiating this past week. Warriors superstar point guard, Stephen Curry, was also ejected after throwing his mouthpiece in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. While this was certainly more understandable, many still criticized the officials for ejecting one of the game’s best players in a moment of frustration.
The Nuggets 76ers game on Saturday also had some questionable calls. One of which was an offensive foul call on Jamal Murray when his opposition made contact with him on a three-point shot attempt. Many questioned this call considering this call usually goes the other way for every other team in the league. While the NBA officiating has been questionable as of late, nothing was more egregious than the no-call on LeBron James. Hopefully, the league takes what Anthony Davis suggested into serious consideration and starts holding referees as accountable as coaches and players.
