Getty Montrezl Harrell is not happy with the NBA officiating.
Los Angeles Lakers big man Montrezl Harrell is not happy about the technical he received in the team’s loss to the Sacramento Kings heading into the NBA All-Star break. After the game, Harrell explained he received a technical for saying “and-one” after believing he was fouled. Harrell did not hold back in his post-game press conference saying officials should not be “calling the game that soft.”
As Harrell said:
This is not bashing any referee in general, but we cannot be in an instance of calling the game that soft, man. Whether me and you or me and whatever ref got into it, in a verbal conversation the play before. Just cuz you’re holding onto a grudge from that, you cannot come back and give me a tech. The tech that I got, it definitely was a big momentum swing and definitely shouldn’t have been called. Because in the instance of, I’m not looking at her. I was nowhere near her vicinity. I’m running back on defense and what I said was, ‘and-one.’ No cursing, no profanity, none of that and she turned around and gave me a tech because she was in her feelings because she felt like I was too loud with her or I belittled her when we was talking. You can’t bring that into the game.
Here is a look at the incident Harrell is discussing from the Lakers-Kings game.
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Harrell on Receiving the Technical: ‘You Can’t Give a Guy a Tech for Saying And-One’
Harrell was whistled for a technical with close to 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Lakers were leading the Kings 33 to 26 before Harrell was given the tech. While Harrell was frustrated, the Lakers fan-favorite noted that it did not impact his energy level the rest of the game.
“Everybody on the bench, everybody in the arena, even the guys sitting at the scorer’s table said, you can’t do that,” Harrell continued. “You can’t give a guy a tech just for saying, ‘and-one.’ If I’m going to get a tech for saying ‘and-one,’ then they might as well just tech me off all year because I’ve said way worse than that and haven’t been given a tech. So, it is what it is, man. I can’t control that. I’m going to keep playing with the same passion and same fire that I do. I didn’t stop talking throughout the rest of the game. I kept playing with the same fire and the same motor that I have all game. So, it’s just what it is.”
Vogel on Officiating: ‘That’s Out of Our Control’
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel also appeared frustrated about the officiating after the close loss to the Kings. Vogel discussed why a three-point shot from Buddy Hield was not adjusted to a two-point basket when a review showed his foot was on the line.
“We told the officials about it,” Vogel said, per Silver Screen and Roll. “They said they turned it into [the NBA replay center] and they gave us some excuse that too much time had passed — that they can’t reverse it at that point. When you’ve got a one-point game down the stretch, that’s very disappointing that they weren’t able to look at that, but that’s what they told us during the game.”
Vogel stopped short of blaming the officials for the Lakers’ loss and tried to take the high road after citing the replay confusion.
“I don’t worry about the officiating,” Vogel added. “That’s out of our control.”
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