By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The ABA League issued a statement in the aftermath of the controversy sparked by multiple officiating decisions that were made in Game 3 of the semifinal series between Partizan and Buducnost.
After the loss of his team, Buducnost guard Yogi Ferrell, who was involved in some of these plays, tweeted that the referees had to “cheat” for Partizan to advance and have a final between them and Crvena Zvezda. ABA says that his shooting foul on Kevin Punter which initiated a reaction that brought him a technical foul and an ejection, was a wrong call.
Per ABA:
In order to clarify the situations that occurred in Game 3 of the semi-final series between Partizan Mozzart Bet and Budućnost VOLI, the AdmiralBet ABA League Referees Commission made evaluations of the three referee’s decisions in the mentioned game.
7:09 until the end of the 2nd quarter – After the ball left the hands of the offensive player (Kevin Ferrell) while he was attempting a 3-point shot and before the offensive player (Kevin Ferrell) landed with both legs on the floor, there was a body contact initiated by the defensive player (Aleksa Avramović). The referees called a foul on the offensive player (Kevin Ferrell). The referees made the right call.
While landing on the floor, the offensive player (Kevin Ferrell) hit the defensive player (Aleksa Avramović) in the head with his right arm. The referees used the possibility to check the situation on the Instant Replay System (IRS) and after reviewing the play they gave an unsportsmanlike foul to the offensive player (Kevin Ferrell). The referees made the right call.
6:47 until the end of the 3rd quarter – While attempting a 3-point shot, the offensive player (Kevin Punter) moved his right leg sideways and initiated a contact with the defensive player (Kevin Ferrell). The referees called a shooting foul on the offensive player (Kevin Punter), which was the wrong decision.
The referees should have given a technical foul to the offensive player (Kevin Punter).