“Other teams are reaching, other teams are hitting, and we’re not getting the same call, and I’m tired of it.” It was over a year and a half ago when then-Suns HC Monty Williams was fined $20,000 for retaliating at the refereeing. Criticism about certain ‘wrong’ calls isn’t anything new in the NBA. Several cases have come even this season. For a while, it seemed that the Phoenix side was about to repeat its disappointment with the refs. However, since that did not happen, it is their rivals who are angry at the officials now!

During the ongoing Suns-Warriors matchup, reporters noted that Brandin Podziemski and Co. committed a foul with 55 seconds left. Under normal circumstances, this action would have awarded Kevin Durant and Co two free throws. However, the referees instead had them inbound. The Suns didn’t score on possession. Fortunately, the mistake on this call was realized after the quarter ended.

The referees, in an attempt to make up for the same, gave the Suns two free throws as the fourth quarter opened. While anyone would be up for a fair game, the fact that the Suns got a free throw call as well as the possession did not end well with many.

NBA fans blast referees after a delayed call goes against Brandin Podziemski and Co: “Refs have been Cheating the Warriors for a Long time”

One individual highlighted his disappointment by straight-up writing “THATS NOT LEGAL”. An All-Caps comment. YELLING. This commenter was certainly angry.

The referees ultimately decide what happens on the court. If the teams cannot challenge it, then the decision stands. This is the reason why, even after the game detects wrong calls at the end, there is no re-do. In regards to it being illegal, no reports have come out that challenge the validity of the call. In light of this, Warriors fans can complain, but cannot criticize the referees from a legal standpoint.

One social media user wrote, “When will refs be fined for this nonsense?”

For those who may not be aware, the league’s stakeholders hold referees accountable for their mistakes. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the media aware of the same last year when criticism about in-game officiating had reached a new level.

However, whatever punishments are handed out, they do so in private. Silver made this claim known during an interview with ESPN’s Sage Steele on SportsCenter, stating, “We don’t publicize discipline for officials. We don’t think that will be appropriate.”

So, even if any action is taken against the referees of the Suns-Warriors games, whether it is a fine or a suspension, details of the same won’t be fully made public knowledge.

One individual did not take a full shot at the referees, but instead at Steve Kerr, by writing, “Is Kerr taught trying to lose w/ this lineup?”

Stephen Curry and Co. had a good start to the season, occupying a high spot on the points chart early on. Unfortunately, GSW has now lost 5 of their last 7 matchups, with 4 of them being consecutive. While the foul call could’ve helped the Warriors, it is key to remember that they lost to the Suns, 113-105, an 8-point margin. Therefore, the Warriors’ HC would pin any lapses sooner rather than later.

One social media user attempted to make a case about personal bias. He wrote, “Refs clearly want Phx to win”.

Claims like these would wreak havoc, especially since the matchup took place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Once again, criticism about personal biases isn’t anything new. However, there are no official reports that make these claims against the referees of the Suns-Warriors game. However, given that it is still early days, an update may or may not be provided in the coming days.

Another individual wrote, “Refs have been Cheating the Warriors for a Long time”.

Both Steve Kerr and Draymond Green have promoted this claim over the years. The head coach believed that referees form a bias against offensive players. After all, he once stated, “It just starts with not enabling the offensive players and bailing them out for bu—–t stuff that they’re doing,” when discussing things that can improve in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Green believed that the officials were creating specific suspension rules for him given his history of flagrant fouls. Dubbing the alleged bias as ‘Draymond rules,’ he said, “If I was losing, they wouldn’t be creating Draymond rules. So as long as they creating Draymond rules, that means we’re winning, and that’s great. They can create as many Draymond rules as they want. That’s beautiful. And it doesn’t change Draymond so, it is what it is.”

Overall, the majority of reactions today took a negative stance against the referees. Some chose to call out Steve Kerr. This indicated that the criticism towards an alleged bias by referees, a claim that has existed for ages, won’t die down anytime soon.

At the same time, fans aren’t happy with the Warriors’ current pace. While the referee will forget the conversation in a few games (if they paid heed to the same), Brandin Podziemski and the others will still have to work to get their winning streak back.