Toronto Raptors: Frustration over officiating reaches new level

Frustrations with the officiating led to the Toronto Raptors letting emotions get the better of them against the Oklahoma City Thunder, ending their winning streak at 11.

Usually, when the Toronto Raptors are perplexed by the officiating, they leave the court shaking their heads after exchanging handshakes with the opposing team. This time, DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka and Dwane Casey did not get that opportunity after being tossed in the final moments of the game.

This game featured a great offensive showcase by the Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the road team prevailed 132-125. Russell Westbrook was dominant in this one with a triple-double (37 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists) while Kyle Lowry had a double-double (22 points and 10 assists).

Unfortunately, Lowry got himself into foul trouble and was forced to leave the game with around three minutes left and the score tied. With Fred VanVleet out of the lineup with an injury, this left Delon Wright in a mismatch with Westbrook, who took advantage.

While Lowry’s last foul call on the moving screen was the right one, there were certainly some questionable ones before that. It certainly does not help the officials’ case when fellow NBA players chime in on social media, or they have to be escorted out by security.

That is the reality of the NBA. Officiating can have an impact and it is such a shame, because fans pay to watch the game rather than the sideshow referees seem to enjoy being a part of.

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Many were curious to see how the team would react postgame about the calls that went against them and coach Casey was the first up at the podium.

"“We’re going to complain the proper way how the game got out of hand at the end,” he said to reporters after the game. “We just watched the calls, we’re going to do it the right way.“Officials are going to miss calls but … at the juncture of the game when some of the calls were made? We’ve got to get it right around the league. Not just this game, the entire league.”"

Considering Casey was tossed from the game without even saying anything, that is calm approach despite calling out referees in the past. On the other hand, DeRozan wasn’t shy about his feelings.

"“He smacked the s—- out of me,”  DeRozan said when asked about whether Corey Brewer fouled him. “He smacked me. He tried to smack me because I had a layup. Period. I got fouled.”"

On one hand, Toronto certainly has reason to be heated about the calls but in the end, it did not help that the team had some sloppy moments. There were turnovers, missed layups and missed free throws that will always haunt teams in close games.

It also does not help that the Thunder were basically unstoppable in the early going, especially Steven Adams, who dominated in the paint. As Sportsnet‘s Arden Zwelling noted, Oklahoma City shot 75 percent in the opening quarter for 40 points.

The Toronto Raptors have been called out by analysts as pretenders, because they do not believe the team can continue to dominate in the posteseason like they have in the regular season. Sunday’s game is as close to a playoff atmosphere as they are going to get.

So if this is something that is going to bother the team when it matters the most, cooler minds have to prevail even if the calls are unfair. That is something championship teams are capable of.

Next: Raptors continue to roll but questions remain

How much of an effect did you think the officiating had on the game? Were the Toronto Raptors right to be unhappy with the result? Let us know in the comments below.