New Jersey Nets coach Byron Scott blasted the referees in the NBA Finals, saying they favor San Antonio star Tim Duncan over Nets forward Kenyon Martin.
On the eve the critical fourth game here in the best-of-seven final, Scott complained about officials who have whistled the Nets for 73 fouls compared to only 53 calls against the Spurs through the first three games.
"The officiating in this series has been a little one-sided," Scott said. "We have been a team all season long that has gone to the free throw line a tonne of times. In this series, for some reason, it's 2-to-1 it seems like.
"I think a lot of that has to do with officiating. Tim Duncan gets away with a whole lot of things on the defensive end that Kenyon Martin does not get away with and Kenyon Martin is one of the best defensive players in the league," he said.
NBA Most Valuable Player Duncan's success and Martin's foul troubles are one reason the Spurs own a 2-1 lead in the final. No team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.
In Sunday's 84-79 Spurs game-three triumph, the Nets were called for 11 fouls in the pivotal final quarter while the Spurs were whistled for only four.
The Spurs have made 56-of-88 from the free throw line while the Nets have hit 47-of-58.
Martin's 16 fouls are the most of any finals player and nine more than Duncan. When told that his coach ripped Duncan for getting away with more inside, Martin laughed and said, "Nice way to put it."
"If I get a call or don't, I can't worry about it. If I start worrying about the officiating, it's going to affect my play," he said.
Duncan said he was not worried that Scott's complaint might cause the referees to watch him with a stricter eye the rest of the way.
"We don't have control over that," Duncan said. "We just control how we play and execute and if we're prepared. Whatever calls are made, the calls are made."
While NBA rivals have often complained of a star system that let players such as Michael Jordan get away with fouls, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dismissed the officials as a factor.
"I never include the officials. I don't think they have anything to do with it," Popovich said. "When you start to think about officials being part of something, I think you're going down the wrong road.
"Officials are there to do their job, which they do. They make mistakes, just like players and coaches. But other than that it's never an issue with us. If you make it an issue, I think your focus gets a little off course."
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