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The late-game out-of-bounds call in Tuesday's Game 5 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers has generated quite a bit of controversy. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers was absolutely furious about it, and it prompted an ultra-rare referee explanation for the press after the 105-104 Oklahoma City victory.
Los Angeles forwards Matt Barnes and Jared Dudley took to their respective social media accounts to vent their frustration. First, Barnes:
That would be a freeze-frame of the play, and this was Barnes' caption: "There's no question this went off my hand last right? #F*€koutahere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Criticizing the officials with profanity, even censored profanity, could very well result in a fine for Barnes. Now, here's Dudley, who elected to comment on other people's tweets:
RT @StuJackson32: So the call was right ?” Rule 8 Sec II c confirms replay decision was correct ( Are u serious?!!! Smh #blind )
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 14, 2014
RT @RealGM: RT @SpearsNBAYahoo: Referee explanation pic.twitter.com/5TzCnLY0Ii (how do the refs only have 2 angles but on the big screen have4?)
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 14, 2014
RT @jayhoward32: did you read the rule? ( don't have to time to move on ! Gotta be ready for game 6. The basketball Gods will get it right )
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 14, 2014
This one's a bit more tricky. While it's hilarious that he's calling Stu Jackson blind, I'm not sure that retweet is necessarily fine-worthy. Dudley's second one could get him in trouble, but really he is more critical of the fact that the referees didn't have access to every angle of the play than anything else. It's also pretty great that, by the third tweet, sent 32 minutes after the first, he has talked himself down and started focusing on the next game. It would have been wiser if both he and Barnes had gone Jamal Crawford's route, though:
Win as a team, lose as a team.. Adversity not only builds character, it reveals it. Just part of the journey..#ClipperNation
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) May 14, 2014