Damian Lillard Reportedly Won't Be Fined for Criticizing Refs After Jazz Loss

Even though Damian Lillard quipped that he had "plenty money" to pay whatever the league wanted to fine him after he criticized the officiating crew for missing a game-deciding goaltending call, the star will be able to keep his wallet in his pocket.

According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the league will not punish Lillard for his comments. 

The Blazers star had a shot illegally blocked by Utah's Rudy Gobert in the final seconds of Utah's victory Friday night. An irate Lillard needed to be held back by the team's director of security on the court after he tried to approach the officials following the final buzzer.

Haynes notes the guard was interviewed by the league on Saturday after the NBA said in its Last Two Minute report the call was missed. The referees at the game also noted the missed call in an interview with the media on Friday night. 

That did little to calm Lillard, however. 

"It's an easy call," Lillard said after the game. "Three referees out there, and they don't call that. I don't want to see no report about 'oh, we should've called it' or none of that. It cost us a game. We in a playoff race, and it cost us a game." 

The Blazers have more than one gripe following the game against Utah.

Haynes reports the team is "irate" with the Jazz's Royce O'Neale for a collision with guard Anfernee Simons in the first quarter. Simons was forced to leave the game and has since entered the league's concussion protocol. 

Portland felt O'Neale's play was dirty, though Haynes didn't describe what, if anything, the league is willing to do to remedy the situation. 

In any case, a Blazers team that was already on an "us-against-the-world" tear over the last few weeks now has another chip on its shoulder as the All-Star break closes in. The team is currently 2.5 games back of Memphis for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference as of Saturday and has seemingly no limit on how far Lillard can carry them. 

The guard is averaging an absurd 42.4 points per game over his last nine contests. Portland still has three games left before the All-Star game, including a matchup with another title hopeful in the Miami Heat on Sunday. It'll be the first game since the Jazz controversy. 

Even more importantly, they'll face the Grizzlies on the road in the last game before the break. That may shape up as one of the most important games of the season for the Blazers.