The NBA PR office announced that Doc Rivers will be fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing officiating during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 114-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Rivers became enraged after Giannis Antetokounmpo was given a last-second foul for allegedly obstructing LaMelo Ball.
Doc Rivers had blasted the refereeing for the foul call against Giannis, saying that Antetokounmpo’s defensive play on LaMelo Ball was clean and that the Bucks should have won the game.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/2LEOFVLZsv
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 18, 2024
Rivers said, “I thought the final play was the ref blowing the call. This is back-to-back games now where on the final play there’s been an incorrect call made. LaMelo Ball fell. He just fell down. Nobody was near him, slipped on his own, we come up with the ball, the game’s over… And there was clearly not a foul. When you watch the video, the ref that called the foul was blocked out by one of our players. You can’t guess at the end of a game. Both teams have played too hard. You can’t guess.”
Despite the Milwaukee Bucks’ dismal start to the season, Doc Rivers hasn’t lost faith in his club. He recently stated that he still expects them to qualify for the NBA playoffs. However, considering the group they have put together, they should be regarded as a contender for a title.
Doc Rivers Is Having One Of The Worst Performances In This NBA Season So Far
Without question, Doc Rivers is currently in the literal hot seat. The famous head coach has not produced the results he should have, even though his team is nearly healthy, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing the greatest basketball of his career since his MVP season.
Players are already frustrated because Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his emotions once more following the Bucks’ defeat. The coaching staff or the roster may undergo significant changes if things don’t improve.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
The Bucks will want to return to winning ways when they play the Houston Rockets on Monday at 8 PM ET at Fiserv Forum. On Sunday at 6 PM ET, the Hornets will play the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are still unbeaten, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
