Fred Hoiberg Rips Refs for Officiating of Isaiah Thomas After Bulls' Game 4 Loss

Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg had some criticisms for the referees after his team's 104-95 loss to the Boston Celtics at United Center on Sunday.

As Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated captured, the coach specifically said he had problems with the leeway given to Isaiah Thomas:

"When you're allowed to discontinue your dribble on every possession, he's impossible to guard," Hoiberg explained. "When you're able to put your hand underneath the ball and take two or three steps, and put it back down, it's impossible to guard him in those situations."

Nick Friedell of ESPN.com noted this was the most criticism he has heard from Hoiberg in two seasons.

Hoiberg also referred to Thomas as a "hell of a player," although it's clear he didn't like watching the Celtics star score 33 points to even the series at 2-2. The player shot just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc but was 9-of-12 on two-point attempts.

The All-Star finished the regular season with an average of 28.9 points per game, third-best in the NBA behind MVP candidates Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Through four games against the Bulls this series, he is averaging 25.5 PPG.

Although Chicago had put itself in position for a first-round upset over the No. 1 seed, back-to-back losses have clearly caused some frustration from the coaching staff.

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