Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has been fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing officiating decisions following the team’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday afternoon. Rivers expressed frustration with a critical late-game foul call against Giannis Antetokounmpo, which ultimately impacted the game’s outcome.
With Milwaukee ahead by one point and just seven seconds left on the clock, Antetokounmpo was whistled for a foul on LaMelo Ball as the Hornets guard drove to the basket.
However, replays revealed that Ball had tripped over his own feet, with no contact from Antetokounmpo. Unfortunately for the Bucks, they were unable to challenge the call as they had already used their challenges earlier in the game to overturn other officiating decisions.
After the game, Rivers voiced his dissatisfaction with the officiating, particularly the controversial foul call at the end and the overall lack of fouls called in Antetokounmpo’s favor throughout the contest.
“There was clearly not a foul. When you watch the video, the ref was blocked out by one of our players. You can’t guess at the end of the game,” Rivers remarked.
In a postgame pool report, crew chief Curtis Blair acknowledged the mistake, confirming that the foul call was incorrect. This was further corroborated by the NBA’s Last Two Minute report, which also determined that the call should not have been made.
Doc Rivers Fined $25K For Public Criticism Of Officiating https://t.co/0NPGwcwyyz
— RealGM (@RealGM) November 18, 2024
