Tyronn Lue Fined for Criticizing Officials Following Game 4 of 2016 NBA Finals
The NBA fined Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue $25,000 for criticizing the officiating after Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals, per Bleacher Report's Howard Beck.
Lue contended the referees were ignoring fouls committed against Cavaliers star LeBron James, per ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst:
"He never gets calls. I mean, he attacks. Outside of Russell Westbrook, he's one of the guys that attacks the paint every single play. And he doesn't get a fair whistle all the time because of his strength and because of his power and guys bounce off of him. But those are still fouls, and we weren't able to get them. But we've got to play through officiating.
"
James echoed the sentiment, per Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver:
James has attempted 17 free throws in the NBA Finals, or 4.3 per game—which is down from his regular-season average of 6.5 per game. According to NBA.com, James accounted for 34.5 percent of Cleveland's personal fouls drawn in the regular season. In the postseason, that figure was 31.1 percent, including 23.8 percent in the Finals.
The drop comes despite James taking a higher percentage of his shots closer to the basket as the year progresses. Per NBA.com, here's a look at his field-goal attempts per game in the regular season, playoffs and NBA Finals:
| Catch and Shoot | 9.8% (1.8 FGA/G) | 10.7% (2.0 FGA/G) | 1.2% (0.3 FGA/G) |
| Pull-Ups | 30.2% (5.6 FGA/G) | 26.5% (4.9 FGA/G) | 29.4% (6.3 FGA/G) |
| Less Than 10 Feet | 57.0% (10.6 FGA/G) | 58.6% (10.9 FGA/G) | 63.5% (13.5 FGA/G) |
| Other | 3.0% (0.6 FGA/G) | 4.2% (0.8 FGA/G) | 5.9% (1.3 FGA/G) |
One would expect James to get to the line more when he attempts more of his shots in the paint, but the inverse has been true in the Finals. While it's hyperbole to say the four-time MVP "never gets calls," Lue may have a point.
Whether or not James starts drawing more foul calls, the Cavaliers received a boost Sunday when the NBA announced it had suspended Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green for Game 5 on Monday. The league retroactively assessed a flagrant foul to Green for swinging at James' groin in Game 4:
At this point, Lue and his team could use any advantage they can get. Leading the series 3-1, the Warriors can clinch their second straight championship at home Monday.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, need three straight wins against a team that lost nine games in the regular season to avoid finishing as runners-up for the second year in a row.
