Paul George Blasts Referees After Clippers Lose to Warriors

Despite driving to the basket several times in Thursday's opener, Paul George was not awarded a single free throw attempt. This has been a growing frustration for George, who often feels as if he gets a tight whistle from the officials, and he voiced that frustration after the loss to Golden State.
When asked about the lack of free throws he was awarded, Paul George said, "Draymond got nine of them, so honestly I don't know what he did that I wasn't doing. I drove the ball more than he did to the paint, took more contact than he did, I don't know how he gets rewarded with nine of them." On the technical foul he was handed for arguing a non-call, George said, "It's just crazy, you get T'd up, I'm getting hit in the face, I'm getting smacked in the face, I shot a three and got smacked on the elbow. That is just crazy to me."
The disrespect from the officials is nothing new for George, who last year had the 5th lowest free throw rate in the NBA amongst all players who took as many shots as he did. While George was still able to put up 29 points on fantastic efficiency, both he and the Clippers would have been benefitted by a few more calls from the officials.
Ultimately, the Clippers fell 115-113 to the Warriors, and will search for their first win on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
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