Luka Doncic can’t seem to finish a game without calling out referees one way or another. In Mavericks’ Wednesday night matchup against Pelicans, he dodged a Technical after yelling ‘Refs are mad’.
Advertisement
Dallas Mavericks went absolutely bonkers against New Orleans Pelicans after two back-to-back losses. They blew out Brandon Ingram and co 139-107 in the second matchup of the season.
Mavs were in control of the game right from the beginning and massively outscored their opponents in the first half. Pelicans had a surprising victory over the Clippers Monday night. However, that momentum did not translate to this game. Jonas Valanciunas was underwhelming against Mavs after a monstrous 39-point performance against the Clippers.
Dallas Mavericks are currently at the 4th position in the west, however, the teams below them are not that far behind. The gap between #4 seed and #10 seed is only 1.5 games which means Mavs could lose their spot easily. Pelicans on the other hand have one of the worst records yet again. Their lottery pick Zion Williamson is not close to a return either.
Luka Doncic may be fined for calling out refs on camera
The 2x All-Star is infamous for complaining to the refs. He was on the brink of suspension last season with 15 technical fouls. The young guard has led his team to the playoffs twice, falling short to Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. He does not shy away from arguing with the refs after bad calls.
Last night against New Orleans Pelicans instead of yelling at the referee, Doncic called them out on camera. With 14 seconds left in the second quarter, Brandon Ingram air-balled from mid-range but the Pelicans caught the rebound. Porzingis then blocked Jonas and Dallas had the possession. The shot clock was not reset as the ball never touched the rim.
As a result, a shot clock violation was called against Pelicans and Mavs had to inbound the ball. With only 5 seconds left on the game clock, they could not make a play and Luka Doncic was mad at the refs for calling the violation and disturbing their momentum.
Luka Dončić said “Oh my God the refs are bad” during today game against the Pelicans pic.twitter.com/AwumokqPIY
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) December 2, 2021
Although the rule is questionable, every team is called for it. It would be wrong to forgo it for the Mavericks hence the call was justified. Despite the rule changes, the officiating has been disastrous so far. Several big names like Damian Lillard, James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Julius Randle have criticized referees this season.
Officiating crew did not take notice of what Luka said during the game. However, it won’t be surprising if the superstar is fined for his actions later.
