Warriors F Kevin Durant yesterday "loudly backed" league refs and "called out the NBA for 'throwing them under the bus'" in its Last Two Minute Reports, which he believes should be abolished, according to Anthony Slater of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. The NBA on Monday released a L2M report after the Warriors lost by one to the Cavaliers on Christmas, to which Durant said, "It’s bull**** the NBA throws the refs under the bus like that." Durant: "We don’t get the win. But to say I got fouled and the technical (on LeBron James)? Just move on. ... Now the next game, that group of refs, whoever it is, they’re going to come out, intentionally ref the game, try to get everything right and perfect without just going out there relaxing and trying to make the right call." Durant said of the reports, "They should get rid of them. Refs don’t deserve that. They’re trying their hardest to get the play right, then you look at the play in slo-mo and say it’s wrong. I think it’s bull**** that they do that" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 12/28). Durant also said that it is "hypocritical for the league to fine players for publicly criticizing referees while at the same time publicizing their mistakes" (ESPN.com, 12/27). CSNBAYAREA.com's Monte Poole noted the NBA's reports said the officiating crew "missed two calls in the final minutes of the Cavaliers 109-108 win." The first was for not calling a technical on James for "hanging onto the rim after a dunk with 1:41 remaining." The second was for not calling a foul on Cavs F Richard Jefferson, who "stepped on Durant’s foot with 3.1 seconds left as he tried to make a move to put up a potential game-winning shot" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 12/27).
KD'S NOT ALONE: YAHOO SPORTS' Kelly Dwyer wrote Durant "isn't alone" in disliking the league's reports. Bulls G Dwyane Wade also "criticized the reports" earlier this season. He pointed out as Durant did that "prioritizing the last two minutes of a close game seems like an odd arrangement, and that the disconnect between player fines and referee admonishments hardly seems fair to anyone involved" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/27). CBSSPORTS.com's James Herbert noted James and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also have "questioned the practice" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/27). But ESPN’s Jon Weiner said Durant’s criticism "comes off as hypocritical." Weiner: "Durant insinuated that he was fouled towards the end of that game, so he threw the refs under the bus” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 12/28).
NEW WORLD ORDER: ESPN’s Jay Williams noted NBA Commissioner Adam Silver with the L2M reports has gone "out of his way ... to be fully transparent with fans and with the public about what these refs are going through and about the mistakes that they have made." Williams: "I love that because as a fan, I want to hear you say, ‘Okay, we made a mistake here, but we're willing to own the fact that we made a mistake’” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 12/28).
