As the players and coaches continue to condemn the referees for ‘poor officiating’, the latest to join the rally is none other than the LA Clippers’ very own star, Paul George.
Even though the Clippers were having a difficult time finding their rhythm this season, George refused to accept that the team had underperformed against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
The Nuggets led by an 8-point margin at the halftime break; however, the Clippers surged ahead in the third quarter and eventually established a tie with the Nuggets at 84 points.
George slams officials
George personally had an incredible performance during the game, scoring even more than the front-runner for MVP, center Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets. George finished with 35 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists, as per NBA.com.
However, this wasn’t enough to bring down the Nuggets and stop them from bagging their ninth win of the season, 111-108.
In George’s opinion, the cause of their loss wasn’t wholly due to their performance. He stated in a post-match interview that the officials were ‘awful’ and that while he wasn’t a fan of moral victories, he nonetheless believed that the team had played exceptionally well and showed more signs of a team that was close to “getting it over the hump.”
Paul George – It was Bad!
The Nuggets attempted 32 free throws compared to the Clippers’ 24, and George believed that there should have been a greater number of attempts at the line.
George’s statement via ESPN: “It was bad. Five free throws is very disrespectful on this night. So many times I got hit on layups, 3-pointers, it was constant. Jump shots, getting hit, smacked on the forearm. I mean, it was poor, a poor job. But, again, we got to be able to beat these guys on their floor and not rely on that. Again, they [are] calling something on one end, they got to call it on the other.”
And, two days after Wednesday night’s game, the NBA announced that it would be handing George a hefty fine of $35,000 for “ public criticism of the officiating.” The fine stems partly from George’s history of criticizing the officiating.
The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/qPrS55ze2R
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 17, 2023
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