NBA referees ruin Warriors vs Grizzlies epic play-in clash with multiple bad calls

The NBA referees are facing the wrath of the fans and former players for their poor officiating during the Warriors-Grizzlies game.

NBA referees ruin Warriors vs Grizzlies epic play-in clash with multiple bad calls

Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies in a crunch class on Tuesday, and won in an epic fashion. Despite winning, the NBA community baffled everyone with the ‘poor refereeing’ throughout the game. So much so that the players felt annoyed on the court, with the game in anyone’s hand as the Warriors won by 121-116.

There were loads of instances where the refs got their decision wrong, especially towards the Warriors’ players. The Warriors lost several crucial calls. Draymond Green fouled out on a minor call along the sideline to start it. Green was lucky not to get a technical after protesting the foul. Many spectators claimed a clean block on a play, but the referee called Brandin Podziemski for a foul after Green fouled out.

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On the other hand, fans felt that the Grizzlies got many wrong calls as well. So much so that, Warriors star Jimmy Butler had an epic reaction to the referee awarding him free throws on Scotty Pippen Jr.’s challenge. For context, Pippen Jr. attempted a block on Butler but failed. However, the video shows that the Grizzlies player did not touch Butler.

Despite this, the referee awarded Butler free throws, leaving the Grizzlies players and fans furious. Not only that, the Grizzlies trailed 119-116 with 5.1 seconds left, and it appeared that they would have a chance to equalize the score. However, the officials awarded the ball to the Warriors after a five-second infraction, which infuriated Grizzlies supporters.

What was supposed to be one of the top games of the NBA-Play-in Tournament got ruined by the referees on Tuesday. With this win, the Warriors will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Ja Morant suffered concerning ankle injury against the Warriors

Grizzlies star Ja Morant was on fire against the Warriors on Tuesday. It looked as if Morant had come with a clear mission to guide his side in the NBA Playoffs against the likes of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. However, Morant’s assault was cut short in the 3rd quarter.

Morant landed on Buddy Hield‘s foot and rolled his ankle. Despite being investigated for a hostel act, the officials decided it was a common offense. After lying down for a few minutes, the Grizzlies star got back up and made a fantastic free shot. In order to remove him from the game, the Grizzlies promptly fouled. Fans had some hope when Morant decided not to return to the locker room.

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The Grizzlies star remained on the bench despite his obvious anguish and inability to bear much weight on his leg as he left. He prepared to make every effort to return because he was unwilling to be dismissed from this significant competition. Now, the fans will be hoping for a positive injury update regarding Morant.

Former Warrior left stunned with poor NBA referees during Warriors-Grizzlies matchup

The poor officiating in the Warriors-Grizzlies game surely brought out wild reactions from the NBA community on social media. However, fans were not the only ones to put out their reactions to this game. Former Warrior, Festus Ezeli also chimed in on this via his official X account. Ezeli was left frustrated with the referees and made his thoughts clear.

Reffin’ this game needs to be studied.

Festus Ezeli wrote on X

For those who are unfamiliar with Ezeli, he is a Nigerian basketball player who played for the Warriors back in 2015. The former Warrior won an NBA Championship with the Warriors in 2015, then retired from basketball in 2021 due to knee surgery. If a player like Ezeli can spot the clear mistakes made by refs in the game, the league would need to take some action against this.