by After criticizing the refs for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors star guard Fred VanVleet should have expected a fine.
The NBA slapped VanVleet on Thursday with a $30,000 fine after he singled out referee Ben Taylor in postgame commentary after a 108-100 loss to the Clippers, according to The Athletic.
“I don’t care, I’ll take a ticket. I really don’t care. I thought Ben Taylor was fucking terrible tonight. I thought, most nights out of three [officials], there are one or two that screw up the game. It’s been like that a couple of games in a row.
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Toronto Raptors’ Fred VanVleet (23) beats Los Angeles Clippers’ Terance Mann (14) during the first half of a game on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
“Denver was tough, obviously. [the prior game]. Come out tonight, racing real hard. Third quarter, I have a bulls— technology. It changed the whole dynamic of the game,” VanVleet told reporters. “It changed the whole flow of the game. You know, most refs try really hard. I really like referees. They are trying. They are pretty fair. They communicate well. And then you have the others who just want to be d—-.”
VanVleet didn’t point it out, but the Clippers went to the free-throw line far more than the Raptors on Wednesday night, shooting 31 free throws to Toronto’s 14.
RAPTORS’ FRED VANVLEET TEARS REFEREE AFTER LOSS: ‘BEN TAYLOR WAS TERRIBLE TONIGHT’
The Raptors also saw Scott Foster, another NBA official, eject Raptors forward Scottie Barnes in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets on Monday.
The technical foul VanVleet received was the third Taylor has called against him this season.
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors enters the court before a game against the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images)
“He just fucked up the game. Nobody’s coming to see that s—. They’re coming to see the players,” VanVleet added. “And I think we’re losing a little bit of the fabric of what the NBA is and was. It’s been disappointing this season. You can look up… most of my coaching this year has been with Ben Taylor as referee. At one point You, as a player, feel like it’s personal.
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“It’s never a good place to be. That’s not why we lost tonight. We got beat, but it definitely makes it harder to beat.”
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors dribbles against the Orlando Magic during the second half of a game at Scotiabank Arena on February 14, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
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The Raptors have lost their last two games but have won six of their last 10. They are fighting for a playoff spot, sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference at 32-35.
