The Phoenix Suns are struggling through yet another difficult season in which they will miss the playoffs, and frustration seemed to boil over for first-year head coach Monty Williams following the team’s latest loss.
After the Suns fell 121-105 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Williams criticized the officiating crew for the lack of calls his players have been receiving. He specifically mentioned Devin Booker, who Williams says has “hit the floor over and over and over again” this season without hearing a whistle.
Unprompted, Monty Williams turned tonight's postgame comments to officiating: "I’m more concerned with the lack of foul calling for our guys. I’m just, like, over it. I’ve watched Book hit the floor over and over and over again. He doesn’t just complain for nothing." #Suns
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) March 11, 2020
More Monty: "Our guys feel like they’re not always being treated fairly. I’m not saying the league is doing it on purpose, but if it’s missed, It’s just missed."
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) March 11, 2020
More Monty: "That’s two games in a row (against Portland) a guy took two hands and pushed our guys at the rim. That’s not a basketball play, you know? That can be frustrating when you’re playing as hard as we play, and you don’t get that call." #Suns
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) March 11, 2020
Booker scored 29 points on Tuesday, but he was just 9-of-25 from the field. He got to the free throw line 10 times. That’s a healthy number of attempts, and Booker actually ranks ninth in the NBA this season with 7.1 free throw attempts per game. Williams clearly feels that number should be higher.
Williams was in a better mood following Phoenix’s last game against the Blazers, but the circumstances were a lot different then. The Suns have just 29 wins this year following Tuesday’s loss, so you can understand why the coach is starting to lose his cool.
