The Rockets managed to win the first of four games of survival. They destroyed the Lakers’ game plans, applying relentless pressure. The game was also heated for a stretch. But it was mostly made out to be so by some shocking decisions. Head official James Williams ejected a total of three players tonight. Neither of them really deserved it if we’re being honest.

Deandre Ayton was having his best game of these playoffs. The Lakers center had 19 and 10 before an accidental elbow to Sengun’s face earned him a Flagrant 2. “I don’t think DA would ever do anything malicious,” head coach JJ Redick said about Williams’ decision. Furthermore, Lakers’ G-League forward Adou Thiero and the Rockets’ Aaron Holiday were also tossed in the fourth quarter.

They went from confronting each other to feeling hard done by Williams. After tussling for a board, all they did was come face-to-face and exchange a few words. The game was well over by then, with just over a minute remaining. Yet, James Williams threw them out, even though their confrontation never escalated to anything hostile.

JJ Redick revealed he wasn’t offered any explanations. Some of the Lakers players, such as Marcus Smart, even went up to the officials after the game to call out these decisions. They didn’t disrupt the game, but the decisions were unnecessary. Thiero barely gets to play, and couldn’t finish the game because of the soft ejection.

The calls also put James Williams in the spotlight once again. For the second time in a week, players have spoken out against the referee, who is gaining exposure for all the wrong reasons.

Devin Booker calls out James Williams’ favoritism

It’s not uncommon for NBA players to get soft technicals now. It’s not good for the game. However, James Williams got called out by Suns star Devin Booker for damaging the ‘integrity’ of the game. Unsurprisingly, the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, were involved in the incident.

The claims came after Williams’ controversial officiating during Game 3 of the Suns-Thunder playoff series. He called a tech on Booker for throwing the ball away while falling out of bounds. Moreover, there was a collection of contrasting calls in the game. Booker was called for an offensive foul, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned free throws for practically doing the same thing. Chet Holmgren pushed himself to the ground and still got a whistle in his favor.

“In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James was terrible tonight through and through. “It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as the WWE if they’re not held responsible,” Booker said. Even Suns owner Matt Ishbia took to X to show support for the franchise cornerstone.

In five games of officiating Thunder games, OKC has lost just once with James Williams as the head referee. However, for a group winning 64 games this season, they have a winning record under most officials. Statistically, there’s no other concerning factor.

Opponents receive 3.9 fewer free throws against the Thunder with Williams as the official. That’s nowhere close to the highest difference. But the disparity in calls during Game 3 added heat to these claims.

What that night and tonight’s referee performance did do is underscore the urgent need for the NBA to hold officials accountable. This isn’t just for James Williams. Recently, during the Knicks-Hawks series, James Foster called OG Anunoby out of bounds even though he was well inside the boundaries. There are a bunch of other moments where such decisions upset the game’s rhythm.

Fans are starting to feel frustrated with the degrading quality of refereeing. Hence, Adam Silver needs to implement a standard protocol to evaluate referees. There is a need for consistency and fairness across the board. Right now, it seems like the rules change every game, garnering widespread displeasure in the community and among the players.