The Phoenix Suns already have a tall task in trying to knock off the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of this year’s playoffs.
Star guard Devin Booker says the referees are making it even more difficult.
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The normally reserved Booker was hit with a technical foul in the third quarter of the Suns’ 120-107 loss in Game 2 of their series on Wednesday, April 22, for complaining about the officiating.
“It’s definitely something that has to be looked at,” Booker told reporters after the game. “I heard (the Thunder’s Alex) Caruso tell them to call the tech and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James (Williams) was terrible tonight.”
Booker was particularly upset with a sequence in the second quarter in which he was called for an offensive foul on a drive to the basket, then on the next possession, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew a foul on a Suns defender on an eerily similar play.
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“Whatever I get fined for, everybody can pull the clips and see where the frustration comes from,” Booker said.
Booker is far from the first to raise the issue of officials’ calls favoring the Thunder, and reigning league MVP Gilgeous-Alexander in particular.
“He a little frail, and that’s what the refs are going to call,” said Suns forward Dillon Brooks, who fouled out of Game 2 with 25 seconds remaining.
“Like, I used to watch this back when Michael Jordan was playing or whoever else, when LeBron was younger. This is physical basketball. I don’t get why all the dropping and the falling and the flopping and the flailing and all this stuff is allowed when we get to the playoffs.”
Last month, New York Knicks coach Mike Brown issued a similar complaint.
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“SGA, he’s a tough cover,” Brown told reporters after the Knicks’ loss to the Thunder on March 4. “And he does a great job of convincing the referees – probably better than anybody in the league – that he’s getting hit.”
Gilgeous-Alexander brushed off the criticism as the top-seeded Thunder took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“I can’t control what Dillon or anybody else on the other side is going to complain about,” the Thunder star said after scoring a game-high 37 points and making all nine of his free throw attempts. “All I can do is try to go out there and win basketball games for my team.”
Game 3 is set for Saturday, April 25, in Phoenix.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devin Booker rips referee by name for calls in Suns-Thunder Game 2
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