The Toronto Raptors are having a rough time in their second-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, trailing 2-0 in the series.
Officiating has been adding to the frustration for the Raptors and their fans and it reached a new level in Game 3 Saturday.
Late in the second half with the Raptors trailing by 10 points, Serge Ibaka was fouled and appeared to be heading to the line for a free-throw after converting his shot. After the referees huddled, they decided to wave off the continuation and award Toronto possession but no free-throws.
Not only was Raptors coach Dwane Casey animated on the sideline, team president Masai Ujiri reportedly gave the referees an earful after the play.
Cleveland ended up taking a 15-point lead into halftime and won the game 105-103 thanks to a LeBron James buzzer-beater as time expired in the fourth quarter.
This incident comes on the heels of the NBA upgrading Kevin Love’s elbow on DeMar DeRozan late in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to a Flagrant 1.
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