The video of Luka Doncic making the money gesture at the referee during a NBA game has gone viral
The Mavericks were furious about the refereeing in their defeat to the Warriors, especially the misunderstanding regarding an out-of-bounds play in the third quarter that allowed Golden State to score uncontested in what ended up being a two-point game.
Luka Doncic money gesture at referee for which he was fined $35,000, video goes viral
$35,000 for a hand gesture!
Whether they were angry or not, everyone knew Luka Dončić ‘s gesture insinuating the referees were bought off crossed the line and would result in a fine. For “directing an unacceptable and disrespectful gesture towards a game official,” Dončić was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Friday.
Even while that’s a high price to pay, things might have been much worse — the referee did not flag Dončić at the moment for a technical foul, which would have been his 16th and resulted in an automatic one-game suspension without pay.
Luka Doncic makes the money motion at the referee after a no-call late vs. the Warriors 😳💰 pic.twitter.com/MJnjIvdyO1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 23, 2023
Dončić wasn’t the only one to be penalised this week.
The NBA did not just fine Dončić for his outbursts at the referees; on Friday, Suns coach Monty Williams was also fined $20,000 “for public criticism of the officiating.” Williams was upset about the Lakers’ victory because Phoenix only attempted 20 free throws while Los Angeles attempted 46.
“Where do you watch a game where one team shoots 46 free throws?” Williams stated following the contest. “That’s simply incorrect. It doesn’t matter how you cut it. We are experiencing it too frequently. I’m tired of it because other teams are reaching and hitting while we’re not receiving the same call. It’s aged since I’ve had it. Been discussing the same subject for a long. Whatever team it is, doesn’t matter.”
There is a reason why it doesn’t matter which team it is. The Phoenix settle for jump shots rather than applying much pressure to the rim, which prevents them from drawing many fouls (particularly without Kevin Durant).
The second reason is that they foul the most in the league. Both of those factors will result in a nightly free throw disparity (they had players who could draw fouls; Mikal Bridges is currently doing so in Brooklyn; however, the Suns did not give him the ball and ask him to attack as the Nets have; Phoenix used him more frequently as a shooter and cutter off the ball).
These are only the most recent instances, but this season’s disputes between players and officials feel particularly heated.