The NBA PR office said that Doc Rivers would receive a $25,000 fine for publicly criticising officiating following the Milwaukee Bucks’ 114-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. After Giannis Antetokounmpo was given a last-second foul for allegedly obstructing LaMelo Ball, Rivers became enraged.

Doc Rivers had challenged the refereeing of the foul call against Giannis, saying that Antetokounmpo had made a clean defensive play on LaMelo Ball, and the Bucks should have won the game as a result.

“I believed the referee blew the call on the last play. These are now back-to-back games in which an incorrect call was made on the last play. LaMelo Ball went down. He simply collapsed.

He slipped on his own; no one was around; we found the ball; the game was over… Furthermore, there was obviously no foul. The outcome of a game cannot be predicted. Both sides have exerted too much effort. It’s impossible to guess.

Not only was Doc upset over the foul call, but Damian Lillard also blasted the refereeing for Atntetokounmpo. It’s unclear if Lillard will experience the same consequences. Given that the Bucks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 4-9 record, Rivers’ displeasure makes sense.

There is still some pressure to win for the Bucks, who many predicted would be a championship team, even if they have been able to turn things around from a few weeks ago when they were 14th in the East rankings.

Despite the Milwaukee Bucks’ dismal start to the season, Rivers hasn’t lost faith in his club; he recently stated that he still expects them to qualify for the NBA playoffs. However, considering the group they have put together, they ought to be considered as a contender for a title.

Doc Rivers Needs To Address Criticism

Without question, Doc Rivers is currently in the proverbial hot seat. The famous head coach has not produced the performances he should have, even if his squad is nearly healthy (apart from Khris Middleton) and Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing the best basketball of his career since his MVP season.

The Bucks, who rank 16th in the NBA with a defensive rating of 113.6, have been extremely bad on both sides of the court. They are now in a better position than they were a week ago, when they were placed 22nd, and the only reason for this gain is that they have faced weaker teams in the past week.

With an offensive rating of 110.9, which is 18th in the league, the Bucks are falling far short even when it comes to offence. If the Bucks are serious about competing for the NBA title this year, they must make some significant changes in the upcoming weeks and months.

Players are already frustrated because Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his emotions once more following the Bucks’ defeat. The coaching staff or possibly the roster may undergo significant changes if things don’t get better.