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Tossed Out for Aggressive Charge at Referee, Mike Brown Catches Egregious Officiating in 4K After Damian Lillard, Bucks Steal OT Win

Published 01/14/2024, 10:56 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The drama in the NBA has reached a new height. The Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks recently met for an intense battle. Both teams showcased stellar performances with four players from each side scoring over 20 points. De’Aaron Fox claimed the game-high with an impressive 32 points. However, the on-court drama took a dramatic turn with less than 10 minutes left to play. Mike Brown, asserting that a foul against Fox was overlooked, erupted in frustration, going ballistic on the referees for the missed call.

Brown adhered to league policies by avoiding physical contact with the referee. However, he approached one of the officials with visible rage. Malik Monk quickly intervened, restraining Brown. Within moments, the Sacramento coach found himself ejected from the game.

Mike Brown mentions what ticked him off

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Talking about the incident during the post-game, Mike Brown bought up the game film on the podium. Initially, Brown displayed a rerun of an instance from the initial quarter of the game, where Damian Lillard was handed 3-free throws. Furthermore, coming to the play that got him ejected, Brown argued that Fox’s hand was hooked by Cam Payne, nearly causing him to collide on the floor.

Additionally, Brown emphasized an inconsistency from the referees’ end. Beyond no-calls and incorrect whistles, he cites a specific rule regarding defenders contesting shots – one that he believes is inaccurately communicated by the referees.

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According to Brown, the referees consistently call fouls on his players for extending their arms while contesting shots vertically. In contrast, he argued that referees permit Brook Lopez to extend his arms, even though it appears to fall within the criteria of the same rule.

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Brown is not the first coach to bash refs this week

In a fiery five-minute session of criticizing and holding his own over the game’s officiating decisions, Brown also brought attention to a significant free throw disparity. Given that the game was a close encounter, a 1-point defeat, its significance sits high. The Kings concluded the game with 20 trips to the charity stripe, while the Bucks were awarded 32 opportunities. However, Brown asserted that the Kings were trailing 19 to 5 in free throws at halftime.

Interestingly, a parallel situation unfolded with Toronto’s head coach, Darko Rajakovic. He criticized referees for a similar reason in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Rajakovic expressed frustration over the Lakers receiving 23 free throws in the fourth quarter, while the Raptors only got two attempts; creating a substantial difference. The NBA responded by fining him $25,000 just two days later.

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Are the referees being too careless in their calls? Is it something that the NBA will have to address in order to prevent coaching outbursts like this?

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Written by:

Saahil Dhillan

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“Places you go in life – it opens your eyes up and you kind of understand who you are.” - This is my philosophy in life. I want to go to innumerable places and get inspired by the people and experiences I come across, just like Dwayne Wade.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe