Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick sharply criticized the officiating after his team’s 125-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. His comments came after Austin Reaves confronted crew chief John Goble at center court, adding another layer of frustration to a game in which the Lakers felt they were repeatedly denied calls.
Redick said the Thunder make life difficult by leaning into physical play while avoiding whistles. “I mean, they have a few guys that foul on every possession,” he said, adding that the Lakers must “be able to just call them if they foul, and they do foul.”
Redick’s frustration centers on LeBron James
Redick said the biggest issue in the series has been the way LeBron James has been officiated. James averaged 5.3 free throw attempts during the regular season, but he has only five free throws through the first two games of the series.
“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” Redick said. He added that James “gets clobbered” and said the contact often goes uncalled when James drives into the lane.
James scored 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting and added six assists, but he also showed visible frustration during the game. On one drive in the first quarter, he took contact from Thunder big man Jaylin Williams and fell on his right hip without a foul call.
Reaves says he felt disrespected
Reaves also had a tense exchange with Goble late in the fourth quarter, and he later described the moment as disrespectful. He said he tried to stay respectful throughout the night, but he believed the referee overreacted when players were shifting before a jump ball.
“I just thought it was disrespectful,” Reaves said. “At the end of the day, we’re grown men. And I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell in my face like that.”
Reaves said he told Goble he would have received a technical foul if he had spoken to a player the same way. He added that he believed the referee knew he was in the wrong, which is why no technical was called on him.
A game filled with disputed calls
The Lakers had several moments they viewed as costly. James was called for an offensive foul after Alex Caruso fell to the floor on contact near the foul line, and another sequence late in the second half denied the Lakers a chance at a three-point play when a foul on Cason Wallace was ruled on the floor.
A separate review also changed a loose-ball foul on Thunder center Jaylin Williams into a double foul on Williams and Jaxson Hayes. That decision shifted the possession to a jump ball at center court instead of giving the Lakers the ball underneath their own basket while trailing 104-94.
Oklahoma City won that jump, and Cason Wallace followed with a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 13. The Thunder never let the margin fall below 12 again.
The numbers back up the debate
The Lakers were called for 26 fouls, while the Thunder had 21. Oklahoma City took 26 free throws, and the Lakers took 21. Those numbers did not settle the frustration in the Lakers’ locker room, where the tone centered more on missed opportunities and disputed whistles than on the final score itself.
Redick said he had no problem with the emotion shown by Reaves or James. He praised his team for staying together, while also noting that Oklahoma City’s composure may affect how games are officiated.
Reaves backed up that view with his own response on the floor, scoring a playoff-career-high 31 points despite the loss. Rui Hachimura, who added 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, also said the Lakers cannot control the referees and must play through it, even if he felt the defending champions receive more respect.
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