The NBA Xmas Games are on in full swing and we’re done with 3 out of the 5. The Sixers made a 4th quarter comeback to beat the Knicks. The Mavericks handed the Lakers a loss on Dirk Nowitzki’s statue unveiling. The Celtics handed the Bucks a whooping. Just like a lot of us, Kevin Durant was at home and enjoying the games as well.
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With the Nets not playing on Christmas Day, Durant is just like the rest of us, a fan who’s enjoying the festivities put up by the teams and the NBA. The Warriors host the Grizzlies for the 4th Xmas Game. With Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins out, a lot of people expected Ja Morant and co to bulldoze their way through.
However, Jordan Poole and the others had a different plan.
Kevin Durant left surprised by the referee’s calls
This morning, the NBA Referees Twitter page announced the referees officiating the Xmas games tonight. When they announced the ones for the Dubs-Grizzlies game, fans knew tonight was going to be bad.
Mark Davis has not been good for the Warriors, and he’s lived up to his reputation so far.
During the third quarter, the Warriors tried fouling Steven Adams, and it was a clear plain foul. Instead, the referees called it a ‘Take Foul’ and granted the Grizzlies a free throw and an extra possession.
This did not sit well with a lot of people, including Kevin Durant.
The NBA implemented the ‘Take Foul’ rule this season. According to NBA.com, this is how they define a take foul.
The take foul — in which the defender does not make a play on the ball — is what the league classifies as one that occurs either “during a transition scoring opportunity or immediately following a change of possession and before the offensive team had the opportunity to advance the ball.”
The new penalty for such a foul is one free throw, which may be attempted by any player on the offended team in the game at the time the foul was committed, along with continued possession by the offended team.
NBA Twitter reacts to the poor officiating tonight
The game tonight has been insane. The Warriors have been issued five technical fouls, with over 9 minutes remaining in the 4th. NBA Twitter was sure outraged about the same.
It has been a poorly officiated game. From the looks of it, if the Dubs lose tonight, it’s more on the referees than on themselves.