Former Fox Sports writer and NBA guru Rob Perez calls out the league for its terrible officiating during the Suns-Cavaliers game.
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The Phoenix Suns have extended their winning streak to fourteen games with tonight’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, their record was in danger today, hadn’t it been for the poor officiating during the match.
With five minutes remaining on the clock, Cedi Osman drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Cavaliers deficit from five to two points. Unfortunately, the 3-points were taken off the board, courtesy of JaVale McGee and poor officiating by the referees.
The play involved McGee fouling Jarrett Allen off the ball while Osman sank a 3-pointer on the other side of the court. There seemed to be a lack of coordination among the officials since the foul on Allen wasn’t called immediately, costing the Cavs an opportunity to cut the lead to two points.
The officiating has earned a lot of ire from NBA fans, especially Rob Perez, who called it one of the worst fouls this season.
Rob Perez breaks down the poor officiating during the Cavs-Suns game on Wednesday
There is no denying that being a referee is one of the most thankless jobs. We all know that officials are human at the end of the day and can commit errors. However, in the sporting world, it is almost impossible to adhere to this.
Nonetheless, what happened during the Cavs-Suns game has taken officiating to a whole new low.
Though there could be a reasonable justification for the above officiating, the NBA needs to do something about it. One could hear the referees blow the whistle. However, the loud noise of the arena overpowered it. An opportunity that could have helped the Cavs snap the Suns’ winning streak.
Perez’s tweet found support in ESPN insider, Bobby Marks who described it as garbage.
The Cavaliers were still in the game when the score read 117-114. However, veteran point guard Ricky Rubio would miss some crucial free throws during the clutch time. The Cavs duo of Allen and Osman combined for 48-points.
The team had their leading scorer missing in Collin Sexton. The Cavs guard suffered a season-ending injury.
Hopefully, the NBA looks into this matter and take necessary action. All the parties involved, whether it is organizations, players, or officials, need to sit down and find a consensus.
