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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers fined by NBA
Bucks coach Doc Rivers has strong reaction to foul called on Giannis
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers had a strong reaction to a late foul called on Giannis Antetokounmpo during a loss to Charlotte on Saturday.
The NBA fined Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers $25,000 for “public criticism of the officiating” on Sunday evening.
The fine was levied by league vice president, head of basketball operations Joe Dumars for Rivers’ roughly five-minute critique over the end-of-game officiating in the Bucks’ 115-114 loss to Charlotte on Saturday evening.
With the Bucks leading 114-113 Giannis Antetokounmpo was called for a foul on Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. Ball made two free throws to take the lead and Antetokounmpo eventually missed a potential game-winning jumper.
After the game crew chief Curtis Blair acknowledged that the leg-to-leg contact foul called on Antetokounmpo was incorrect.
“During postgame review when we looked at the play there was no illegal contact on the play,” Blair said.
Rivers’ frustration was compounded by the fact that Antetokounmpo was called for a foul against Detroit with 1-second left in regulation on Nov. 13. Pistons guard Ron Holland II missed both free throws, however, and the Bucks eventually won the game in overtime.
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