CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $15,000 for “public criticism of officiating” the NBA announced Monday evening.
The fine is a result of Bickerstaff expressing frustration with several calls that were and were not made during Sunday’s 112-108 loss to the 76ers.
“We deserved to win that game,” Bickerstaff said following the game. “That game was taken from us. We deserved to win it.”
The league’s last 2-minute report showed three incorrect calls – two of them favored Philadelphia. Down one, Bickerstaff felt Darius Garland was fouled by Joel Embiid on a drive to the basket which wasn’t called. The league agreed with Bickerstaff Monday.
Embiid and James Harden combined to shoot more free throws – 32 – than the entire Cavs team did – 31 – in the loss.
“We did a great job defensively of making their two best players have a difficult time from the field, but one thing you can’t defend is the free throw line,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s absurd. That’s absurd. Our guys deserve way better than what they got tonight.”
Bickerstaff’s Cavs were called for 28 personal fouls compared to just 19 called on Philadelphia.
“They’re great players and they understand how to play through the rules, and they know how to manipulate the rules,” Bickerstaff said. “This is no knock or disrespect on those guys, but the game has to be consistent on both ends of the floor.
“If there’s contact on one end [and] it’s a foul then [if there’s] contact on the other end, it’s gotta be a foul. Tonight, we were searching for that consistency, and I don’t think we ever found it.”
The Cavs, who are trying to secure the seventh seed and spot in the Play-In Tournament, play the Magic in Orlando Tuesday.
