Why was Monty Williams fined $20k by NBA? All you need to know
Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams wasn't too pleased with the officiating in the Suns' 122-111 loss to the LA Lakers on Wednesday. Following the game at the Crypto.com Arena, Williams criticized the referees for what he believed to be unfair officiating.
Given that the Suns only shot 20 free throws compared to the 46 shot by the LA Lakers, Williams wasn't too pleased (and he had a similar gripe after a 116-104 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on March 14). His comments have landed him in hot water, with the league fining him $20,000 for "public criticism of the officiating."
Joe Dumars, the NBA's Executive VP and Head of Basketball Operations, handed out the punishment on Friday.
The following was released by the NBA. https://t.co/tHhrlJEdHt
What did Monty Williams say about the officiating in the Phoenix Suns loss
As Monty Williams pointed out post-game, he had already spoken to Joe Dumars about what he believed to be unfair officiating. While analysts and critics have continued to point out that the team takes far more midrange jump shots, and isn’t attacking the basket enough, Williams isn’t buying it “I'm over it.
I've been talking about the same thing for a while. Doesn't matter what team it is. Last game, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] gets, I think he had 19 free throws. And it's old. And I'm tired of talking about free throws. Our guys have to do their job, we understand that. But that's a huge disparity. Forty-six free throws. And I'll say it again: Forty-six to 20. That's it. That's all I got to say."
With the loss, the Suns now find themselves in danger of slipping in the standings. In the midst of a two-game losing streak, the team now finds itself in dire need of wins. As Kevin Durant hopes to return by the end of the month, the team will look to make a big postseason run.
If he were to return at the end of the month, he would have five games to get his rhythm back before the postseason. With that said, Durant has shown in the past that he can jump right back into the swing of things without missing a beat.
You can see Monty Williams’ comments in the video below.