Clipper Kris Dunn holds up a Laker Maxi Clipper jersey in front of a referee on Saturday at the Intuit Dome.
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Lakers were assessed five technical fouls in their last two games for behavior with officials as frustration over inconsistent calls began to boil over. After Doncic, Jackson Hayes and Marcus Smart were fouled out in the third quarter of Thursday’s win over Utah, Doncic and Smart were fouled again on Saturday in the first and third quarters, respectively.
“I think what we ask of any coach or player is consistency,” Redick said. “This does not mean excluding any official or any staff, it is not about that. We need to know what the situation is day and night.”
Smart also drew a technical foul against Utah after trying to speak to an official at halftime. The NBA announced that when Smart walked away in frustration, he raised his middle finger toward the official, a gesture that led to him being fined $35,000 on Saturday.
“Sometimes you have to take a hit to get your point across,” Smart said Saturday.
Reddick expressed additional frustration with the lack of transparency in the replay system and opaque communication with officials. He said he received no feedback when he asked for it, and the distinction between plays that can and cannot be challenged seems to change every night.
Smart said the lack of communication was also frustrating for the players, who met with the officials before the Utah game as team captain, but had his questions dismissed.
“The captain should be able to talk to them,” Smart said. “They still don’t want to hear it. So control what you can control. They don’t want to talk, you know, you try and then you move on. But it’s definitely frustrating when you pour your heart into this game and the feedback literally waves at you, tells you to get out of your face, and then gives you a technical because you’re asking a simple question.”