In a recent development, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome received a fine of $25,000 from the NBA for his public disapproval of the officiating following his team’s thrilling 133-129 overtime victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. Jerome expressed his frustration over the excessive number of fouls called during the game, with a total of 53 fouls and 70 free throws being awarded, 35 for each team. This starkly contrasts with the average number of fouls typically seen in an NBA game, which is less than 40.
In a post-game comment, Jerome did not hold back in his criticism, singling out referee Natalie Sago for her performance, stating, “I thought the refs were really bad tonight, especially Natalie (Sago), she was really bad. Stuff like that happens. They kind of lose control of the game, and you just got to keep your head. I thought that first half was ridiculous. Third quarter was horrendous. You just got to keep your head and keep playing.” Despite his frustration, Jerome put up an impressive performance on the court, contributing 25 points, six assists, and a career-high six steals. However, he did receive a technical foul for disputing calls with the officials.
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson echoed Jerome’s sentiments regarding the game’s lack of flow due to the high number of fouls called. Atkinson noted, “The game was so choppy. I’ll have to go back and look at the film. We have great referees in this league. I just thought it wasn’t a great spectacle for the fans or for the media, or for us as coaches. It would just seem like it was constant stoppage. I’ll just leave it at that.”
This incident adds to the narrative surrounding the relationship between players, coaches, and officials in the NBA, highlighting the challenges and tensions that can arise during highly competitive matchups. For more updates on NBA news, visit the Associated Press NBA page at https://apnews.com/hub/NBA.
