Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic furious with officiating in loss to Lakers،
LOS ANGELES — Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic launched into a furious tirade against officials after the Los Angeles Lakers made 23 free throws in the fourth quarter of a 132-131 victory over the Raptors. Tuesday evening.
Rajakovic, Toronto's first-year head coach, narrowed the game's free-throw disparity after Anthony Davis scored 20 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter while making 11 of 11 at the line in the final period. Davis shot 14 of the Lakers' 36 free throws, while Toronto's entire team shot just 13.
“It's scandalous. What happened tonight, it's completely stupid,” Rajakovic said. “It's a shame. Shame on the refs. Shame on the league for allowing this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter? Like, how do you play the game? I understand the respect from all – Stars and all that, but we also have star players on our team.
“How [is it] It's possible that Scottie Barnes, who is an All-Star caliber player in this league, drives to the rim hard every time and by trying to get to the rim without flopping and without trying to get fouled, he gets two free throws for an entire game?” Rajakovic added, banging the table several times for emphasis. “How is that possible? How are you going to explain this to me? »
Davis grabbed 11 rebounds and made 13 of 17 while carrying the Lakers down the stretch. He completed his masterful performance by scoring 10 points in the final 1:01, including eight free throws without a miss, and making a key block on Barnes.
Davis' 14 free throw attempts were a season high for the Lakers big man.
“He was able to get a lot of touches and guys were finding him,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Davis. “And his ability to get to the free throw line and make free throws, it’s just a matter of reading the game and seeing how it goes.”
Rajakovic apparently thought the officials never gave his team a chance.
They were supposed to win tonight? If that's the case, let us know, so we don't come to the game,” Rajakovic said. “Just give them a win. But it wasn't fair tonight. And it doesn't happen for us the first time. Scottie Barnes is going to be [an] All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league, and what's been going on here all season…it's total bullshit. »
Barnes scored 26 points and Pascal Siakam had 25 for the Raptors, who lost for only the second time in five games since acquiring RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley from New York for OG Anunoby. Barrett scored 23 points and Quickley had 21 with four 3-pointers, but fouled out when he elbowed Cam Reddish in the face for a flagrant foul with 3:52 left.
Barrett was whistled for an offensive foul that wiped out a game-tying 3-pointer by Barnes with 24.8 seconds left.
When asked if he had been given an explanation for the offensive foul, Rajakovic replied: “No, there is no explanation.” He said officials would look at the games and “see what they wanted to see,” adding: “They don’t hear us, what we have to say. They don't want to hear the players.
“How are we supposed to play? It happens a lot, but I tell our guys to be professional, to keep fighting, to keep going for the next one. But until when? For how long?”
“They had to win tonight? If that's the case, let us know, so we don't show up for the game. Just give them a win. But it wasn't fair tonight. And that doesn't happen for us the first time.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic
The free throws were relatively even in the first three quarters, 13 for Los Angeles and 11 for Toronto, before the Lakers' total exploded in the fourth.
LeBron James, when asked about the difference, said: “I feel like they made a mistake and we didn't.”
Rajakovic's rant will likely earn him a hefty fine from the NBA, but his players seemed to appreciate his verbal combativeness.
“It just shows he's for us as a family and a team,” said Thaddeus Young, who scored 10 points as Toronto's starting center in place of the injured Jakob Poeltl. “We're always going to stay together. We're always going to stand behind each other as a family, as a team. We're always going to stay together, and he's always been behind us since the first day he got here. We love Darko to dead. We think the world of Coach and we really appreciate him fighting for us.
Information from ESPN's Dave McMenamin and the Associated Press was included in this report.
