Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams was not pleased with the officiating in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but Giannis Antetokounmpo says he has the marks to prove he deserved every foul call he got.
After his team’s 120-100 loss on Sunday night, Williams mentioned how the Suns shot 16 free throws total and “one guy” on the Milwaukee Bucks shot 17. That guy was Giannis. When asked on Tuesday about Williams’ criticism of the officiating, Antetokounmpo implied that the whistles stem from how aggressive Phoenix players have been with him.
“I don’t follow quotes after the games from coaches. But I think I take a pretty good beating out there,” Giannis said, via USA Today’s Mark Medina. “I have a scratch here and a scratch there. They’re making my pretty face ugly.”
Giannis has been struggling with his free throw shooting in the postseason, so putting him at the line isn’t a bad strategy. Though, most of his problems seem to stem from being heckled on the road.
Many people felt the Suns were destined to lose Game 3, and a lot of that had to do with who the head referee was. Giannis is the type of player who will always draw plenty of foul calls, but Williams obviously wants to see his team at the line more in Game 4.
