Recent criticisms from Donovan Mitchell, Montrezl Harrell and Devin Booker about the league’s officiating has sparked conversation going into second half of this NBA-shortened 72-game season.

Oh he’s heard the complaints.

His league has handed out hefty fines of $25K and $20K, respectively, to NBA all-stars.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the data shows “nothing aberrational” is happening in terms of accuracy of officials’ calls or technical fouls, but recent uproar from Donovan Mitchell, Montrezl Harrell and Devin Booker has caught his attention.

“I will say everyone is under enormous pressure this year,” Silver said during his All-Star media Zoom call Saturday evening. “The officials aren’t exempt from that. They are also operating under our sort of work quarantine protocols.

“One of the things we’ve learned over the last year is that the mental stress is incredibly tough on everyone involved. I think in some cases you have some younger officials, too, who maybe are still trying to calibrate their relationships with players.”

New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle, who has received six technical fouls this season, admits NBA officials have “a hell of a job” he’d never want to do. 

NBA players are emotional and competitive, particularly in the “heat of the moment,” Randle noted, but that doesn’t lessen his frustrations with the officiating. 

“A lot of the stuff that goes on out there is uncalled for,” Randle said. “They definitely got to do a better job of certain things cause there’s flows to the game and things can get messed up and all that type of stuff. It’s tough, but it’s definitely something that has to be improved for sure.” 

The first half of the season ended with four games that drew national attention for the officiating.

March 2: Booker tossed after 2 quick technicals

Booker was ejected in the second half of Phoenix’s 114-104 road win against the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

“I just couldn’t believe that such a high intensity game and important game would come to that, that quickly,” Booker said after Wednesday’s practice.

The NBA later stated Booker received the first tech from referee Tyler Ford for “continuous complaining” and the second one from referee Justin Van Duyne for “directing profane language” at Ford with 7:10 left in the third quarter

Ford, 35, is in his sixth NBA season while Van Duyne, 39, is in his seventh. 

“I’ve heard worse things and seen worse things said during least important games and nothing was done about it,” Booker said.

Booker is tied for the second in league in techs with eight.

March 3: Mitchell, Gobert fined

Mitchell was fined $25,000 for “public criticism of the officiating and his conduct while exiting the playing court” during Utah’s overtime loss at Philadelphia. Gobert received a $20,000 fine for “public criticism of the officiating” after the game.

Mitchell received two technical fouls from referee Seth Corbin in overtime with the second one leading to an ejection with 30.8 seconds left.

Corbin, 54, is in his 26th season as an NBA referee.

“I’m never one to blame the refs or blame the officials,” Mitchell said after the game. “I could say we could’ve done more, but this is getting out of hand.”   

Utah trailed by five at that point before losing, 131-123, to the Sixers. 

“We won this game in my personal opinion,” Mitchell added later. “But like I said, I’m going to give them credit. They won, whatever, cool, but this is a consistent thing. And the question is can we do it, can we sustain it. Are we for real, No. 1, like yeah the hell we are and it’s getting f–king ridiculous that this is what’s happening.”

Gobert joined Mitchell in expressing his frustrations with the officiating as he believes a big part of the problem is a lack of respect for the small-market Jazz.

“We all make mistakes,” Gobert said. “I have a lot of respect for the officials. I think it’s a tough job. I think they try their best, but it was too obvious tonight.”   

On Sunday before the All-Star Game, Mitchell addressed Silver’s recent comments on the officiating.

“I think at the end of the day, we control what we can control,” he said. “That’s been our theme throughout the entire year. Just going to look forward to doing that. Whether it changes or not, that’s beyond my control.”

March 3: Call nullifies Green’s game-tying bucket

Draymond Green was called for a charge as Damian Lillard stepped in front him that wiped out a bucket that would’ve tied the game with 4.1 seconds left.

“I thought he was sliding in, but some of them go your way, some don’t,” Green said.

Golden State lost by two, 108-106, in Portland as referee Derek Richardson made the call. The 59-year-old Richardson is in his 24th NBA season. 

“We were pretty confident going into the review that we were going to get it overturned and then hopefully get a stop and take a win,” Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry said. “It doesn’t go our way, obviously, and that’s a tough way to end the game for sure.”

Nearly at a loss for words, Curry concluded by saying, “I don’t really know what to say about it really.” 

March 3: Harrell draws technical after shouting

After hitting a tough, challenged shot on Sacramento big Richaun Holmes, Harrell shouted out ‘And 1’ and referee Jenna Schroeder immediately gave him a technical.

Harrell said Schroeder was upset about an early conversation the two had in the game.

“She turned around and gave me a tech because she was in her feelings because she felt like I was too loud with her or I belittled her when we was talking,” Harrell said. “You can’t bring that into the game.” 

Going back to Silver’s comments about having young officials, Schroeder, 35, is in her second season as an NBA referee.

“If I’m going to get a tech for saying ‘And 1,’ man, they might as well just tech me up all year because I’ve said way worse than that and haven’t been given a tech,” Harrell said.

March 6: Silver’s response

What Booker and Harrell said to the referees may haven’t not been heard if teams were playing before sellout crowd. The Kings and Lakers have yet allowed fans to attend games.

“I think it’s also the case, it’s not a secret, maybe where a little bit of the shorter fuses come in, is that when you have arenas that are packed with 19,000 people and you can hardly hear the person next to you, a player may be used to saying something directed at an official that the official wouldn’t typically hear,” Silver said. “Then the issue becomes, in largely empty arenas, when they do hear what the player says, how is it they should react.”

Silver said this is a topic of discussion in the league office, but noted what commentators say about the technical fouls aren’t lining up with the reports he receives from the refs. 

“I’m not anxious to necessarily repeat those words, but everybody has to find the right balance in a pandemic and be mindful of the stress,” Silver said.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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