Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome put together one of his best performances of the season on Sunday night, dropping 25 points, six assists, and a career-high six steals in a gritty overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers. But by the time the final buzzer sounded, his performance wasn’t the biggest headline—his postgame comments were.

Instead of celebrating the Cavs’ 10th straight win, Jerome took aim at the officiating, specifically calling out referee Natalie Sago. His criticism didn’t just stir debate—it cost him a hefty fine.

With 53 total fouls called and both teams taking a combined 70 free throws (35 each), the game was a stop-and-start mess. Evan Mobley and Blazers’ rookie Donovan Clingan both fouled out, and the Cleveland crowd spent most of the night voicing their displeasure.

Jerome, however, didn’t just vent his frustrations—he turned them into a headline-grabbing moment. When asked about the officiating, he didn’t hold back. “I thought the refs were really bad tonight, especially Natalie (Sago), she was really bad,” he told reporters.

It wasn’t just a throwaway comment, either. Jerome doubled down, saying the referees completely lost control of the game. “First half was ridiculous, third quarter was horrendous,” he continued. “When stuff like that happens, they kind of lose control of the game, and you just got to keep your head.“

It was understandable he had just been assessed with a technical foul in the first quarter after a brief exchange with Sago near the Cavs’ bench. It was a risky move to point out a specific official, particularly one of the NBA’s few female referees. Jerome was fined $25,000 by league executive Joe Dumars for public criticism of the officiating, and it was made clear that singling out a referee would not be accepted.

This was not the first time a player was fined for slating Sago. Who can forget about Bennedict Mathurin’s suspension on 15th Jan? The NBA has always maintained a firm stance in protecting their officials.

But while the league was quick to hand down punishment, many fans were just as fast to take sides. Some felt Jerome was simply speaking the truth about a poorly officiated game. Others believed he crossed a line by singling out Sago instead of keeping his criticism general.

Kenny Atkinson Tries to Calm the Storm

Jerome caught the headlines about his postgame comments, and Cavs head coach, Kenny Atkinson, decided to take a different approach. But although he did not come out to defend the officiating, he did insist that the game served nobody well, as it wasn’t enjoyable for anyone.

“We have great referees in this league,” Atkinson said. “I just thought it wasn’t a great spectacle for the fans or the media, or for us as coaches. It just seemed like there was constant stoppage.“

That “constant stoppage” was exactly what set Jerome off in the first place. His fiery play style helped the Cavs rally from an 18-point deficit, but in his eyes, the excessive whistles nearly killed their momentum.

And with Cleveland perched atop the Eastern Conference at 50-10, the last thing they need is any unnecessary distractions. The fine won’t stop Jerome from playing, but it will bring him to the league’s radar in the future. For now, the drama from which the Cavs will hope to move past comes first. But with the NBA’s referees watching, Jerome may not be given the benefit of the doubt the next time.

Will this incident affect how he will evaluate future officiating complaints? Or will it fire him up even more competitively?