By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka was clearly frustrated with the officiating in the Game 3 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and particularly with the referees ruling that Marcus Smart was fouled on the floor instead during a shooting attempt for three during the last seconds of the match.
With the Celtics down 103 – 100 and six seconds remaining, Smart received the ball from Jaylen Brown and he looked like he was preparing to pull up for a 3-pointer when Jrue Holiday fouled him. The officials decided it wasn’t a shooting foul and gave him the two free throws due to the bonus.
“t was a foul,” Udokja said. “He caught the ball (and) he was turning into a shot (with) both feet set. You can’t say that was a sweep like that when you’re going into a shot. Poor call. Poor no-call. You can clearly see it in person and I saw it on the film. I just went and looked at. He’s curling into a shot and getting fouled on the way up. Bad missed call.”
“Their [the officials’] explanation is that if they don’t fall down, they don’t call it. I’m going to have to teach my guys to flop more,” Udoka mentioned while commenting on the game’s physicality.
Udoka will likely get fined for his comments, something that won’t happen to Giannis Antetokounmpo since he refused to talk about the refereeing to save money for diapers.