“ I think I've already got enough trouble this evening without having to discuss the refereeing with you. » Speaking with a slight smile in front of journalists, Fred VanVleet is aware that his end of the match against the Blazers will cost him dearly.
There were about ten seconds left to play when the Rockets leader tried his bet. His team led by 3 points, he tried to recover three free throws by sending a prayer behind the arc, thinking he was the victim of a foul by Toumani Camara. Except that the referees didn't move. On the other side of the field, Shaedon Sharpe was able to widen the gap with two free throws.
Then on the next Rockets throw-in, the same VanVleet took an offensive foul for having sent Toumani Camara to the ground when he stood out. With four seconds remaining, the fate of a meeting, the intensity of which had already increased a notch a little earlier – disagreement between Dillon Brooks and Shaedon Sharpe, then Anfernee Simons – was played.
Very upset, the leader then pointed at each of the referees with flowery language and even approached one of them, seeming to touch him. The referee in question had to turn away to avoid it.
Referees admit mistake
“ In the heat of the moment, you always feel like you're right. I know the referees try not to make mistakes, but we weren't completely in agreement tonight », Minorizes the former Raptors player, author of a small 8-point outing (4/13 on shots), who intends to review the images of his 3-point attempt.
Ironically, the referees admitted after the match that there was contact. “ At the time, it was believed that the defender had stayed in VanVleet's path during his attempted move toward the basket. After video review, we see that the defender moved closer and touched VanVleet's hip and that a foul should have been called “, reports Courtney Kirkland.
However, according to the head referee, the contact took place before the shot, and there would therefore have been no free throws. “ They whistled these contacts throughout the evening, so I was surprised they didn't whistle that. But regardless of that, we haven't been good in other sectors. We didn't really deserve to win », says Ime Udoka whose team has just played five times in seven days.
“(The calendar) is not an excuse. They're a tough team, well done to them, they play hard. They played better than us. It's more about giving them credit than trying to discredit what we did. We clearly didn't play our best game. It happens sometimes, we have to be better », Finishes Fred VanVleet.
