We knew this was coming.
After the Mavericks lost to the Warriors on Thursday, in a game where a critical call (or in this case, a non-call) didn’t go the team’s way for a second straight game, Rick Carlisle was critical of the officials afterward.
“The game came down to the call that wasn’t made,” he said. “Brandan Wright got hit in the arm, and it’s obvious and it’s two nights in a row and it’s very tough to take with as hard as our guys are fighting to not be on the free throw line with a chance to go ahead with six seconds left in the game.
“I’m disappointed and I’m very concerned. Concerned about what’s happening at the end of games with the officials. I can only be honest.”
He confirmed on Saturday that the league fined him for those remarks.
From Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas:Carlisle declined to reveal the amount of his fine, saying it would be announced by the league later Saturday.
“I spoke to the NBA office and agreed that I should be fined for my comments following the Golden State game,” Carlisle said in a text message. “In this league we all have challenging jobs, and the job of the officials is one of the toughest. Those postgame remarks about the officiating were not appropriate, and I accept the fine.”
The standard league fine in this situation is $25,000, though it could be more if the league feels that the individual has a history of the finable behavior, especially within the same season.
[UPDATE 3:48 p.m. ET: The league confirmed the fine was indeed $25,000 via official release.]
The way to avoid having the officials play a part in the outcome of your games, of course, is to do what the Mavericks did on Friday in Phoenix -- play well enough to win by a comfortable margin, so that one or two calls either way don’t ultimately make a difference.