NEW YORK (AP) - Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George was fined $35,000 on Friday for saying conversations with referees are “just a bunch of lies” while questioning why more fouls weren’t called against Dallas in LA’s 105-89 loss to the Mavericks.
George said after Wednesday’s game that it was “insane” the Clippers weren’t getting to the free throw line more on drives to the basket, then was asked what conversations with officials are like when players don’t think they’re getting the calls.
“Just a bunch of lies,” George said. “Can’t go too much further than that. It’s a bunch of lies. They know what’s going on.”
George scored 28 points, but the Clippers shot just 42% in their second game with fewer than 90 points. The other was a 124-73 loss to the Mavericks in LA in December when Dallas set an NBA record with a 50-point halftime lead (77-27).
The latest loss to Dallas came two days after a 109-99 victory for the Clippers in the first of consecutive games in Dallas between the Western Conference first-round playoff opponents from last season. LA won that series in six games.
“I think a lot of calls are not going our way,” George said. “We’re putting a lot of pressure at the rim. It’s insane that we’re not getting these calls. Hopefully we’ll send a bunch of clips in there. The league’s got to take a look at this.”
Asked what more the Clippers could do to get calls, George said they were being aggressive and just had to believe the calls would come.
“If they’re not going to call it, they’re not going to call it,” George said. “That’s the sad part because we’re not flopping players. We’re not players that like throwing our bodies into other players. We play physical, no different than any other player in this league. Unless we just start diving and playing a flopping game, there’s really nothing much that we can do.”
The Clippers, who are 5-8 since reaching a season-high 13 games over .500 on Feb. 15, play Charlotte at home Saturday.
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