NBA players noticed something fishy during Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin and New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins used Twitter on Monday night to criticize the referees who worked the Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets game for their apparent favoritism of the Warriors.
Cousins, a noted foe of officials, couched his critique inside a metaphor.
The zebras are on the run!
— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) May 29, 2018
Lin was more explicit in his accusation.
As objectively as I can be, the Warriors are prob still the better team but the refs are definitely helping them…
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) May 29, 2018
The Warriors ultimately won 101-92 and clinched a spot in the NBA Finals, where they’ll meet the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth consecutive season.
The NBA usually fines players for speaking out against referees, but Lin and Cousins have tested the boundaries by criticizing officials’ performances in games that don’t feature their own teams.
