Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic goes nuclear on NBA officiating in rant after Lakers game
The Raptors lost a close one to the Los Angeles Lakers and Rajakovic let the NBA hear what he had to say
After their heartbreaking 132-131 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic unleashed a storm of fury on NBA officiating, which he called “complete BS”.
Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic was heated in the postgame presser, unhappy with the Lakers 23 free throw attempts in the 4Q pic.twitter.com/1xvoXrUM6k
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 10, 2024
Rajakovic was specifically angry about the lack of free throw attempts for his team compared to the Lakers. In the fourth quarter of the game, the Lakers attempted 23 free throws, to Toronto’s two. Rajakovic called it a “shame” that the NBA would allow this to happen, and specifically said, “did they have to win tonight? If so just let us know and we won’t show up to the game. Just give them the win.”
Where the officiating began to take a turn was when Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley was given a flagrant foul for this call against Cam Reddish. The Raptors were visibly frustrated and believed that this was a bad call. Quickley was given his sixth foul and disqualified from the game.
Immanuel Quickley gets called for a flagrant foul and it's his 6th of the night. pic.twitter.com/JKJgAbGOhT
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 10, 2024
Quickley visibly showed his disgust at another call, one where he fouled Anthony Davis:
“That’s a bad call, man.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 10, 2024
Immanuel Quickley during the Raptors’ challenge of this foul call on Anthony Davis’ shot attempt
pic.twitter.com/60yAhe1GOJ
The Raptors were already playing without center Jakob Poetl, who didn’t dress for this game, so in the late moments Scottie Barnes played center. This small ball could’ve attributed to the amount of free throw attempts that the Lakers received, but Rajakovic and Raptors fans weren’t having it.
Okay, so I think Ben Taylor has decided this game is over.
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) January 10, 2024
Ben Taylor I want nothing good for you.
— i. adan (@Imman_Adan) January 10, 2024
May your socks always be soggy, May your mouth always be dry, May Lego pieces suddenly appear everywhere you step without shoes on. May you fart loudly every time you sneed to need to sneeze or yawn.
F*ck you.
Ben Taylor's having a huuuge fourth quarter, the man's entering double digits as we speak, the crowd's chanting mvp as he steps to the monitor for the fourth consecutive hour of reviews.
— Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman) January 10, 2024
god has abandoned us
Ben Taylor should never officiate another Toronto Raptors game. There's enough of a case there to ensure it doesn't happen again.
— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) January 10, 2024
Even the Lakers’ broadcast had enough of the ref crew and their fourth quarter antics.
Fascinating that Lakers broadcast doesn’t think this is a flagrant foul. Trainers: please stop teaching the rip thru with elbows at the defender’s face level. It’s dangerous, it’s a foul, and it’s a flagrant often pic.twitter.com/NAdCpwifkB
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) January 10, 2024
If you’re wondering who that Ben Taylor guy is, he’s the head ref from the Lakers-Raptors game. He’s previously had his issues with the Raptors, specifically last year when then-Raptors guard Fred VanVleet got angry at his officiating. Taylor was demoted after that, but it’s unsure what’ll happen to Taylor today.
Rajakovic has every right to be upset, especially with the disparity in calls between the Lakers and Raptors. What’ll be interesting is to see how quickly and how much the fine is for Rajakovic blasting the officiating crew.