CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a tightly contested game that ended with the Milwaukee Bucks falling to the Charlotte Hornets 115-114, coach Doc Rivers expressed his displeasure with the officiating. His ire was particularly directed at a crucial foul called on Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo with just 7.3 seconds remaining in the match.
As the Hornets trailed by a single point, LaMelo Ball drove into the lane but seemed to lose his footing and fall during the play. Review of the footage revealed no apparent contact, yet the referees deemed Antetokounmpo guilty of a foul. This decision proved pivotal, as Ball converted both free throw attempts to put Charlotte ahead. The Bucks had a final chance to win, but Antetokounmpo’s jumper at the buzzer bounced off the rim, sealing the Hornets’ victory.
Rivers was vocal about the late-game call, stating, “I thought the final play was the ref blowing a call. This is back-to-back games now where on the final play there has been an incorrect call made.” The Bucks had already exhausted their challenge options, leaving them without any recourse to question the officiating in critical moments.
Earlier in the week, a similar controversial foul had been called on Antetokounmpo against the Detroit Pistons with just one second remaining in a tied game. In that instance, Pistons forward Ron Holland II failed to capitalize, missing both free throws, which allowed the match to go into overtime, where Milwaukee ultimately triumphed 127-120, propelled by a remarkable 59-point performance from Antetokounmpo.
Rivers further elaborated on the incident, saying, “LaMelo Ball fell. He just fell down. Nobody was near him. He slipped on his own. We come up with the ball and the game is over. So back-to-back games now we have had a call made against us that is incorrect. We were lucky in Detroit the kid missed two free throws. Tonight LaMelo Ball made the free throws.”
In summary, the controversial foul calls have raised questions about officiating consistency, particularly as they have significantly impacted the outcomes for the Bucks in crucial games.
