NBA drops the hammer on Clippers head coach Ty Lue for accusing refs of “cheating”

Just days before the NBA All-Star break, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors met at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 

Down 11 points entering the fourth quarter, the Clippers escaped the Bay Area with a win, outscoring the Warriors 44-28 in the game’s final act. It was a hard-fought battle between two teams with postseason aspirations. Tensions were flaring, including the coaches.

Clippers head coach Ty Lue received two separate technical fouls in the fourth quarter, which was followed by his ejection from the game after a quarrel between both teams.

However, it didn’t stop there for Lue, who was not shy about voicing his opinion on how the contest against the Warriors was officiated:

“Where the refs at now?” Lue was caught on video shouting as he walked near his team’s locker room.

Moreover, Lue was heard asking: “Where James [Williams] at? I want to kick him in the mouth,” he said about James Williams, one of the three referees who officiated the game between Los Angeles and Golden State on Feb 14.

While it made for an entertaining viral social media clip, the NBA was not pleased with Lue, dropping the hammer on him for his comments.

NBA fines Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue heavily

According to a statement from the league made by Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, Lue has been fined $35,000 for “public criticism of the officiating and for questioning the integrity of game officials.”

Whatever Lue was upset about, hopefully, it merits paying that substantial of a fine, especially considering the Clippers ultimately escaped with a victory at the end of the game.

Now that the NBA has penalized Lue for his actions, he and the Clippers will look to finish the season strong as they battle for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves by two games with a 36-17 record.