\n<\/p>\n
JJ Redick\u2019s frustration with the officiating finally boiled over after the Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 125-107 Game 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
The Lakers coach passionately defended LeBron James\u2019 whistle \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 following another physical, emotionally charged game against Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell he gets clobbered on that one with Jalen Williams trying to come over and block that shot,\u201d Redick said. \u201cLeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Redick\u2019s comments came after a game filled with constant whistles, emotional swings and visible frustration from both teams. Redick himself picked up a technical foul in the first quarter after erupting at referee Ben Taylor with the Lakers facing an early double-digit deficit. The Lakers briefly seized momentum from the chaos, rallying to take a halftime lead while Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander battled foul trouble for much of the night.<\/p>\n
But after the Thunder overwhelmed the Lakers in the second half to take a commanding 2-0 series lead, Redick broadened his criticism beyond one crew or one playoff game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been with him two years now,\u201d Redick said of James. \u201cThere\u2019s, again, the smaller guys, because they can be theatric, they typically draw more fouls than the bigger players that are built like LeBron. It\u2019s hard for them, that he gets clobbered. He got clobbered again tonight a bunch. That\u2019s not like a new thing. That\u2019s not specific to this crew or this series. He gets fouled a lot. Doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Redick later added: \u201cThey\u2019re hard enough to play. You\u2019ve got to be able to just call them if they foul, and they do foul.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officiating tension became one of the defining undercurrents of Game 2. After the final buzzer, Austin Reaves and several Lakers players surrounded referee John Goble in an animated discussion before storming off the floor frustrated. The Thunder were whistled for fewer fouls overall, though Oklahoma City\u2019s aggressive perimeter defense repeatedly pushed the Lakers into confrontations with officials throughout the night.<\/p>\n
James also spent stretches visibly frustrated with the officiating crew during the game. At one point during the game, that was audible to reporters from The Athletic <\/i>sitting courtside,\u00a0James directed an expletive-filled complaint toward Goble from the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the f\u2014 are you talking about?\u201d James could be heard saying<\/a>. \u201cYou f\u2014ing suck, man.\u201d<\/p>\n LeBron x Ben Taylor here. This crew can\u2019t say they\u2019ve gone without feedback. https:\/\/t.co\/4Jz8baJ7Ve pic.twitter.com\/OXB0ebzIOG<\/a><\/p>\n\n