Foul calls are up in the NBA playoffs. History says that’s to be expected

CHICAGO (AP) — NBA referees are calling about 11% more personal fouls per game so far in these playoffs than they did during the regular season, a differential that’s on pace to be one of the largest in NBA history.

And in the league’s eyes, that’s to be expected.

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Mindful of criticism from players and coaches that seems like a constant in any postseason, the NBA’s senior vice president of referee development and training freely acknowledges that there is a difference between regular-season basketball and playoff basketball — a point that nobody within the league likely would largue.

But refereeing, Monty McCutchen insists, doesn’t fundamentally change at playoff time.

“It would be very difficult on our players, on our coaches, most certainly on our referees, if the intensity of a seven-game series that we see in the playoffs exhibited itself over 82 games,” McCutchen said at the NBA draft combine. “NBA playoff basketball is one of the great spectacles of all sport in my opinion. You get the combination of the passion and strength of our players and coaching staffs in tight spaces over seven-game series. And I think that that absolutely makes for a different game.”

Given the stakes of the postseason, it’s only natural for every play to come under more scrutiny and for emotions to run hotter.

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— San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was ejected from a playoff game this week for elbowing Minnesota’s Naz Reid, a play that led to Spurs coach Mitch Johnson saying his team’s 7-foot-4 star is constantly dealing with some sort of physicality that goes over the line and inevitably will force him to react. “At some level, you have to protect yourself,” Johnson said. “Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on him. I get it. We get it. That’s part of the game.”

— Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers held an impromptu meeting at midcourt with referees after a playoff loss in Oklahoma City to voice concerns.

— Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson pointed out that Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell wasn’t getting to the line very…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/foul-calls-nba-playoffs-history-162842690.html

Author : TIM REYNOLDS

Publish date : 2026-05-13 16:28:00

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