Comparing the current state of officiating to the “WWE” and calling for higher accountability as the Suns face a 0-2 series deficit, Yankee Scores reports that the NBA has come hard on Suns star, Devin Booker.
Suns guard Devin Booker has been fined by the NBA for his comments questioning the officiating. His commented after the Sun’s 120-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunders on Wednesday in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Fine Over Officiating Comments
The league announced the fine Thursday, saying that it found “no basis to any claim of bias or misconduct by game officials.”
Booker voiced his displeasure with the officiating in Game 2 and pointed at referee James Williams. He claimed; “terrible tonight through and through.”
“It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as a WWE if they’re not held responsible,” Booker said after the loss, which gave the Thunder a 2-0 series lead. “It just feels disrespectful. I know I haven’t won a championship in this league, but I have been in it for 11 years now. So, to get to this point to be treated like that, for me to even be saying something out loud, it’s bad.”
Booker’s Admittance
Booker knew his criticism of the officiating would result in a fine but was unperturbed.
“This is my first time in 11 years, but it’s needed,” Booker said Wednesday. “Whatever I get fined for it, everybody can pull the clips and see where the frustration is from.”
The Technical Foul Controversy
The NBA addressed and rescinded a technical foul that went against him in the third quarter, saying it was “improperly assessed”.
Booker was particularly frustrated by the technical after the loss, saying he never received an explanation for why it was assessed. The technical was called by referee JB DeRosa after Booker, who appeared to prevent an out-of-bounds infraction, threw a pass that hit Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams. Williams was called for a foul on the play for bumping Booker, knocking him out of bounds.
Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso lobbied for Booker to receive a technical before it was called.
