One of the biggest complaints about Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night was the way the game was being called by the refs.
There was no obvious favoritism on either side, but the refs decided to not blow the whistle on plays that would typically be considered fouls. The ABC announcing crew of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson complained about it during the game, and afterwards the players had a few words as well. Specifically, the Cavs were upset with the lack of calls on fouls committed by the Warriors on LeBron James.
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"He never gets calls," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of James during his postgame news conference. "(He) attacks the paint every single play. He doesn't get a fair whistle all the time because of his strength and because of his power and guys bounce off of him. But those are still fouls, and we weren't able to get them. But we've got to play through officiating."
James ended the night with just four attempts from the free-throw line, which does seem light considering how often he attacks the basket. But neither team was getting calls Friday as the Warriors ended with 31 free throw attempts (padded by late-game fouling) compared to the Cavs' 26.
Richard Jefferson on LeBron: "four free throws for a guy who lives in the paint is rare."
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 11, 2016
Jefferson said James getting four free throws is "rare," but it's actually on par with what he's been getting this postseason. James is averaging 5.4 free throw attempts in the playoffs and has had four or fewer attempts in 10 of 18 games.
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At this point, the four-time MVP is used to not getting his way.
"I'm not quite sure what I can do personally to get to the free throw line, but I've got to continue to be aggressive for our team," he said after the game. "I'm getting hit, but the refs are not seeing it that way, on my drives. ... You know, it's tough playing 46 minutes and only going to the line four times, as much as I attack the rim. So it's just a tough situation for our team."
