Grant Williams criticizes referees’ handling of technical fouls during loss to Sixers
"Joel [Embiid] throws me across the face on the out of bounds play, no review of a flagrant, no review of nothing."
Grant Williams wants you to know he got a technical foul during the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s loss to Philadelphia, while P.J. Tucker and Joel Embiid did not.
Williams told The Athletic’s Jay King after the game that both players took issue with the officiating like he did. Their complaints generated a different reaction from officials than his did, he said.
“So that moment where I got hit in the face twice, I said, ‘Call the [expletive] foul,” Williams said. “And next thing you know, I got a technical … the following possession P.J. says, ‘Call the [expletive] push-off’. No technical foul. Later in the game, after Joel throws me across the face on the out of bounds play, no review of a flagrant, no review of nothing.
“Then he proceeds to say ‘How the [expletive] do you call a foul on me in that position? That’s not a [expletive foul]. And no technical. So, it was like, ‘OK, did I do something different from the other guys that led to me getting a technical?'” Williams said. “Or is it one of those things where I need to just shut up and dribble?”
Earlier this week, Williams told John Karalis of the Boston Sports Journal that he’s been working on dealing with officials differently.
“I’m still myself. I’m just not trying to be a distraction in a way,” Williams said. “Still doing all the little things I’m doing. You still talk to the officials and still do everything, but it might not be as excessive … The best way I do it, is always just kind of speak to them privately on the side after a call is made and stuff like that. And you still have your natural reactions every now and again, but that’s been tempered a bit.”
But, that didn’t stop him from calling out the refs following the loss Tuesday. Williams said he was mad because Embiid hit him in the face twice and stepped on his foot and referees told him they missed it.
“It’s one of those things that’s frustrating,” Williams said. “It’s getting to the point where you might as well turn into the other guy, like, the guys that are just yelling all the time and getting away with it because that’s what they do. Rather than the position I’ve been in, I’ve always tried my best to respect officials. And it’s frustrating.”
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