After tormenting the referees over Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors star goaltender Fred VanVleet should have expected a fine.
The NBA slapped VanVleet Thursday with a $30,000 fine after he singled out referee Ben Taylor in postgame commentary following a 108-100 loss to the Clippers, according to The Athletic.
“I don’t mind, I’ll take a fine. I do not care. I thought Ben Taylor was terrible tonight. I thought most nights out of the three [officials]there are one or two who have just screwed up the game. It’s been like that for a few games in a row.
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Toronto Raptors’ Fred VanVleet (23) drives past Terance Mann (14) of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of a game Wednesday, March 8, 2023 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
“Denver was tough, obviously [the prior game]. Come tonight, compete pretty hard. In the third quarter, I get a bull – tech. It changed the whole dynamic of the game,” VanVleet told reporters. “It changed the whole flow of the game. You know, most referees try really hard. I really like refs. They try hard. They are pretty fair. They communicate well. And then you have the others who just want to be d—-.
VanVleet didn’t point it out, but the Clippers got to the free throw line far more than the Raptors on Wednesday night, shooting 31 free throws to Toronto’s 14.
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The Raptors also watched fellow NBA official Scott Foster eject Raptors forward Scottie Barnes in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets on Monday.
The technical foul received by VanVleet was the third whistled against him by Taylor this season.
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors enters the court before a game against the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images)
“It’s just a little f—- the game up. No one comes to see this s—. They come to see the players,” added VanVleet. “And I think we’re losing a bit of the fabric of what the NBA is and was. It’s been disappointing this season. You can look…most of my techs this year have been with Ben Taylor as a referee. At some moment, as a player, we feel that it is personal.
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“It’s never a good place to be. That’s not why we lost tonight. We were outplayed, but that definitely makes it harder to overcome.
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors dribbles against the Orlando Magic during the second half of a game at Scotiabank Arena on February 14, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
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The Raptors have lost their last two games but have won six of their last 10 games. They are battling for a playoff spot, sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference at 32-35.
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