"F**k, let me get out of here, I just don't want to get fined" - Ben Simmons furious with officials after he fouled out for Brooklyn Nets for 2nd time in 3 games
Ben Simmons hasn't had a great season with the Brooklyn Nets so far. The playmaker has appeared in three games, but fouled out in two of them.
The Nets lost Monday night's matchup 134-124 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Simmons spent 28 minutes on the floor, scoring seven points and dishing out eight assists. Unfortunately, he was fouled out with just under four minutes left in the game.
The 6-foot-10 point guard wasn't happy with the officials and said that he shouldn't have been kicked out of the game:
"There was no explanation for that call. I just said it was a bulls**t call, which it was, and f***, let me get out of here. I just don't want to get fined."
Ben Simmons fouled Ja Morant with 3:52 left in the game. After watching the replay, the Nets guard thought that the referee who made the call, J.T. Orr, was in the wrong.
Ben Simmons is frustrated with treatment by the officials
Ben Simmons had a lot of ups and downs in his NBA career. He missed the entire 2021-22 season and was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets. It will take a little longer until he gets back in shape and starts dominating the league.
No doubt Simmons is a great player and a triple-double threat every night. He is also a fantastic defender. However, he will have to be less physical and avoid getting into foul trouble.
The Nets guard doesn't believe that he should have been fouled out against the Memphis Grizzlies.
"It's not a foul, but it was bulls**t," Ben Simmons said. "It's frustrating because it's late game, fourth quarter, it's a physical, close game.
"It's the NBA. It's not college. It's not high school. Some people are going to get hit, some people bleed; it's basketball."
Officials not allowing physicality is one of the main complaints from NBA players and fans. Unfortunately, there is nothing Simmons can do about it and will have to get used to receiving calls.
Ja Morant takes credit for the foul
Ja Morant had another fantastic game on Monday night. The Grizzlies point guard finished the contest with 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
He knew what he was doing at the end of the game and knew that he had to bait Ben Simmons into fouling him.
"I knew I had him," Morant said about the play. "He was going to press up, and I was just going to force the ref to make the call."
While Morant is the league's leading scorer at the moment, Ben Simmons is far from being a star. The Nets playmaker has averaged only 5.7 points, six rebounds, and six assists this season.
The Nets will face another challenge on Wednesday night. They travel to Wisconsin to square off against the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Simmons is a great defender who is more than capable of guarding the two-time MVP. However, he will have to stay out of foul trouble if he wants to help his team bounce back and win the game.