NEW YORK (AP) — Doc Rivers was right. It still cost him $25,000.
Rivers, the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, was fined by the NBA on Sunday, a day after he publicly criticized the officiating that led to the deciding points in a 115-114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Rivers argued Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t commit a foul with the Bucks trailing by one with 7.3 seconds left, saying Charlotte's LaMelo Ball simply slipped and fell. Ball made two free throws to give Charlotte the lead for good.
“I thought the final play was the ref blowing a call,” Rivers said after that game. “This is back-to-back games now where on the final play there has been an incorrect call made."
It wasn’t relevant that the referees wound up agreeing with Rivers.
“During live play we called illegal leg-to-leg contact,” crew chief Curtis Blair told a pool reporter in remarks distributed by the NBA. “During postgame review when we looked at the play there was no illegal contact on the play.”
Antetokounmpo’s jumper at the buzzer rimmed out and the Hornets escaped with the win. Ball was fined $100,000 on Sunday for using an anti-gay slur in his postgame remarks, when asked to describe Charlotte’s defense on the final play against Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks argued about late-game officiating this past Wednesday as well, when Antetokounmpo was whistled for a phantom call with a second left in regulation and the score tied at 111 against Detroit. Pistons forward Ron Holland II missed two free throws after that call, the game went into overtime and the Bucks prevailed 127-120 behind 59 points from Antetokounmpo.
“We were lucky in Detroit the kid missed two free throws,” Rivers said Saturday. “Tonight, LaMelo Ball made the free throws.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts to a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner scored a season-high 34 points, and Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 119-110 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Pascal Siakam added 23 points for the Pacers, who shot 52% from the field, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 16 points and 13 assists.
Tyler Herro scored 28 points, and Bam Adebayo had 24 for the Heat, who were without six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler because of a sprained ankle. Miami was outscored 62-28 in the paint.
The Pacers bounced back from Friday’s debacle, a 124-111 loss to the Butler-less Heat that coach Rick Carlisle said left him “ashamed.” Indiana never trailed in the rematch.
Heat: Although Butler may return Monday for the start of a three-game homestand, Miami lost Jaime Jaquez in the third quarter due to a sprained right ankle. X-rays were negative, the Heat said. Injuries have been an unfortunate theme in Miami’s 5-7 start.
Pacers: Indiana has shown ability to overcome its own injury woes with Mathurin coming into his own. The third-year wing, starting at small forward because of the absence of Aaron Nesmith, has scored at least 20 points in four of his past six games.
Haliburton has shot unusually poor (39.3% from the field, 29.4% from long range) to start this season, and that continued Sunday when he missed eight of his first 10 shots. Haliburton atoned by making back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after the Heat briefly came back to tie the game at 97.
Thirty of the Pacers’ 44 buckets were assisted, and Haliburton and T.J. McConnell combined for 18 assists. In contrast, no Heat player had more than four assists.
The Pacers visit Toronto on Monday, the same day Miami returns home to face Philadelphia.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) tips the ball away from Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic shoots in front of Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) tries to get past Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots in front of Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives on Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson reacts after a basket against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson (0) shoots over Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) shoots in front of Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) grabs a rebound behind Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
