Kings coach Reggie Theus thought the officials helped cost his team the game Tuesday against Detroit.
Two days later, his decision to share that view publicly wound up costing him more than a win.
Theus - who had called the free-throw discrepancy (17 to 36) "ridiculous" and said "their stars got the calls down the stretch" following the 100-92 loss to the Pistons - today was fined $25,000 for his comments. The Kings also were fined $25,000 "for the head coach's actions," as explained in a news release from the NBA.
Theus wasn't alone in his frustration, as most of his locker room was incensed at the officiating. Despite spending much of the night attacking the rim and drawing contact, the whistles in their favor were minimal. Play had to be stopped several times for Kings players to be treated for cuts on various elbows and knees while the Pistons had ramped up their defensive intensity from the second quarter on.
Several times, Theus implored the crew of Violet Palmer, Mark Wunderlich and John Goble to "make (the Pistons) earn it" and not to "give them the game." Kings center Brad Miller was the most rattled of the bunch, as his 2-of-16 shooting struggles had everything to do with his strong disagreement with the officials on several plays. Pistons Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince had more free-throw attempts (a combined 20) than the entire Kings team.
The league is believed to have a heightened sensitivity for anti-officiating comments this season, most likely because of the negativity surrounding last year's Tim Donaghy scandal. Theus, who did not immediately return a call for comment, is the first coach this season to learn that lesson the hard way.
Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.
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