Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert refereed Utah Jazz games

After Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was hit with technical fouls in two separate games in the final minute of extra time and was sent off with 30.5 seconds left in the 131-123 loss of Utah versus the Philadelphia 76ers, the All-Star said he’s tired of the Jazz. being “fucked up” by the referees, calling the way his team’s matches are refereed “f — ing ridiculous”.

“First off, you know, give the 76ers credit. They played a tough game. Joel [Embiid] does what he does, and at the end of the day, they’re a good team. We competed. But it’s hard. It’s hard to go out there and see how we fight and compete, and get taken out of a game like that, ”Mitchell said Wednesday night.

“Now I’m never the type to blame a referee, blame an official – I can say I could have done more – but it’s getting out of hand. There have been games like this that we’ve won. , there’s been games like this that we’ve lost. But all that refereeing stuff. … we’re nice, we don’t complain, like, we’re not frustrated, we fight through things, and we’re continually … screwed up, in a way, by it.

“We won this game, in my personal opinion. You know? But like I said, I’m going to give them credit. They won. It doesn’t matter. Cool. But it was a consistent thing, and the question is, ‘Can we Can we keep it going? Are we for real No.1? And, yeah hell we are. And it’s getting ridiculous, that’s what happens.’

The leading NBA Jazz, who controlled most of the game, ended up heading into extra time after Embiid hit a 3-point game for the 76ers with 6.5 seconds left in regulation time and Mike Conley missed a buzzer float that would have won it for Utah.

Then, in overtime, after Tobias Harris scored four straight baskets for Philadelphia to put the Sixers in the lead, Mitchell was hit with his first technique 57.5 seconds left when Embiid fouled the interior on the Rudy Gobert Jazz Center. Embiid happily made a “T” with his hands over and over again – pointing at Mitchell – as the refs called him over him.

On Utah’s next possession, Mitchell missed two shots – the first that Gobert hung on to keep Utah in possession – and, believing he had been fouled, Mitchell continued to bark against officials.

He was then called for the second technique with 30.5 seconds remaining, getting kicked out of play in the process. As he left the field, Mitchell smashed a water fountain on the ground, then appeared to apologize to a security guard sitting next to him as he walked into the visitor’s locker room at the Wells Fargo Center of Philadelphia.

“We have a whole second half of the season to prepare, and I’m sick of it, to be honest with you,” said Mitchell. “We all are. It’s something that just eats me up. It gnaws at me, man.

“You all know what it is. We all know what it is. But it’s getting really out of control. It’s really, really, really out of control. And the league needs to do something about it.

“I want to see the report from the last two minutes. I want to see it. But it’s getting out of hand.”

One thing that will feature on that final two-minute report Thursday is an appeal that was considered by officials with just under 30 seconds to go into rule, when it emerged that Royce O’Neale was called out of bounds. after saving a stray bullet. During the replay, it was clear that O’Neale was not, in fact, out of bounds.

However, officials then said the ball went out of bounds, keeping the ball with Philadelphia and confusing virtually everyone watching. After the game, a billiards report confirmed that the call was made not because O’Neale went out of bounds, but because the ball first hit a referee who was standing out of bounds – this which means that the ball was in fact out of the field. terminals.

And while this play ultimately had no effect on the outcome, it will be little solace for the Jazz, who were left to steam after being called for seven more fouls than Philadelphia and being heavily disadvantaged in free throws. , with the Sixers at 27 for 35 and the Jazz at just 14 for 19.

This disparity also drew the ire of Gobert, the other Utah All-Star – who, like Mitchell, also earned some NBA fine on Thursday after repeatedly calling officials during his own. post-match media session.

“Our guys aren’t able to get the calls that everyone gets in the f — league,” Gobert said. “We know we’re Utah Jazz, and maybe some people don’t want us to go as far as possible, but it’s disappointing.

“Three times in a row Mike Conley goes to the rim, and they catch him right in front of the officials and there are no calls. And, at the other end, there are invisible calls that are made. .

“I think it’s disrespectful, to be honest, to the basketball game and to our team, and I hope they will watch the game when they get home. … I hope that ‘they are ashamed when they watch the game. “

Gobert went on to say that he believed the Jazz were being treated unfairly for playing in a small market.

“I don’t mean that,” said Gobert, “but I really believe it. After playing in this league for eight years, it’s a little more difficult. [to be in a small market], and that’s one of the things we have to overcome. That’s why I said to the guys, “When you’re a small market, you have to be better than just better. You have to be an elite and you have to control what you can control.

“But it’s very disappointing not to be respected like that. … It’s not just a game because we all make mistakes. I have a lot of respect for the officials. It’s hard work. . I think they are doing their best but it was also. It’s obvious tonight. They can’t make it that obvious. We’re going to watch a movie and do all of this and keep improving, but we deserve it more respect as a team and as human beings for all the work we have done. “