Kevin Durant blasted the NBA’s two-minute report released on Monday, that stated referees missed two crucial calls at the end of the Warriors 109-108 defeat to the Cavaliers on Christmas Day. The calls may have swung the game in Golden State’s favor.
It wasn’t the missed calls Durant took issue with, however, but rather his belief that the league is throwing it’s officials under the bus by illuminating their mistakes after the fact.
KD was fired up, going on a minute-long rant denouncing the report.
“I think it’s bulls— that the NBA throws the refs under the bus like that,” Durant began. “This happened to be in our favor, it’s not even in our favor – we don’t get the win – but to say that I got fouled and the tech…just move on. You don’t throw the refs under the bus like that, because the next game that group of refs, or whoever it is, they’re going to come out and they’re going to ref the game and they’re going to be tense when they’re reffing the game and they’re going to try to get every play right.”
“They’re going to try to be perfect, without just going out there and relaxing and making the right call,” Durant continued “You can’t fine us for criticizing (and then) throw them under the bus for a two-minute report? What about the first quarter? The second quarter? The third quarter? I think it’s bulls—.”
“They should get rid of it,” he continued. “Our refs don’t deserve that. They’re trying their hardest to get the plays right, and you look at a play in slo-mo and say it’s wrong? I think it’s bulls–t that they do that. It’s full of s–t that you throw the refs under the bus like that after the game, like it matters.”
“The game is over. We’re moving on.”
The first call in question took place with 1:41 left, with the league stating that LeBron James should’ve been issued a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a dunk that gave Cleveland a 105-103 lead.
The second missed call came on the final possession of the game, when Richard Jefferson should’ve been called for a foul after tripping Durant with 3.1 seconds left, not allowing him to put up a potential game-winning shot.