Washington Wizards point guard John Wall was not pleased with the way he was officiated down the stretch of a pivotal Thursday night game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling short in a one-on-one duel against Cavs star LeBron James in the closing moments of the game.
The Wizards' ace missed a potential game-tying shot but didn't feel he got the same referee treatment as James, likely costing the Wizards the game, after suffering a 119-115 loss.
“It’s kinda tough,” Wall told reporters. “Because I try to do the same thing as LeBron, but when I turn the corner and get downhill I don’t get those same calls when people put hands on me or contact with me.”
“I already knew the play before that when I drove on LeBron I wasn’t gonna get a call. So why even put myself in that position? Same thing happened with Jeff Green. I knew they wasn’t gonna give me a call, so I tried to find a teammate for a wide-open shot. Just give that guy credit for making a great defensive stop.”
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Wall's Wizards were up by 15 points when he first checked into the game at the 7:05 mark of the fourth quarter, but his impact was minimal, going 1-of-4 with one rebound, one assist, and a turnover — as the Cavs mounted their comeback.
According to Second Spectrum, James has been the defender on seven direct isolations in the final minute of one-possession games since returning to the Cavs. He's pitching a shutout with no points scored on those plays.
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