Bucks coach Doc Rivers was fined $25,000 on Sunday for criticizing the referees after Milwaukee’s 115-114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets the night before.
Rivers was upset about a foul called on Giannis Antetokounmpo, which sent Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball to the free-throw line with 7.3 seconds remaining in the game. Ball made both free throws to give the Hornets a one-point lead, and Milwaukee missed a chance to win the game.
“LaMelo Ball fell. He just fell down,” Rivers said after the game. “Nobody was near him. He slipped on his own. We get the ball and the game is over. So, back-to-back games now we’ve had a wrong call against us.
We were lucky in Detroit when the kid missed two free throws. Tonight, LaMelo Ball made the free throws.”
After the game, referee crew chief Curtis Blair admitted that the call was incorrect.
“During live play, we called illegal leg-to-leg contact,” Blair said. “After reviewing the play, we saw that there was no illegal contact.”
The loss was another tough one for the Bucks, who are now 4-9 this season. They will play the Houston Rockets at home on Monday.
