Raptors' Darko Rajakovic Rips Referees In Fiery Postgame Rant, 'This Is Shame'
Raptors Coach Darko Rajakovic Rips Referees In Postgame Rant ... 'This Is Shame'
Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reached his boiling point after his team lost to the Lakers on Tuesday ... teeing off on referees for giving L.A. 23 free throws in the fourth quarter.
Rajakovic -- who's in his first season with the Dinos -- didn't hold back in his rant to media members after the 132-131 loss ... calling it "outrageous" the Purple and Gold continued to get calls in their favor ... and suggesting officials were helping LeBron James and Co. win the contest.
"What happened tonight, this is completely B.S.," Rajakovic told reporters. "This is shame. Shame for the referees, shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter. Like, how to play the game? I understand -- respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well."
Rajakovic points out his star player Scottie Barnes was worthy of getting calls as he drove to the rim throughout the game ... but finished with just two attempts from the charity stripe.
"How is that possible? How are you going to explain that to me?"
Lakers star Anthony Davis had 41 points in the matchup ... with 11 coming from free throws in the final period. Toronto only had 13 free-throw attempts throughout the game.
"They had to win tonight?" Rajakovic added. "If that's the case, just let us know, so we don't show up for the game. Just give them a win. But, that was not fair tonight. And this is not happening first time for us. Scottie Barnes is going to be All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league, and what's happening over here during whole season, I've been holding it back, it's complete crap."
LeBron got wind of Rajakovic's comments ... and his response was simple -- "I feel like they fouled and we didn't."
Ex-NBAer Evan Turner also weighed in on the Serbian coach's gripe ... with many calling him out for what is being considered a xenophobic take on the matter.
"You gotta let your assistant coaches do the rant when 'you have accent,'" Turner said on Instagram.
German hooper Dennis Schroder was quick to check him ... replying, "Bro chill."
Rajakovic's tirade is certainly going to cost him ... as the Association has a strict policy against publicly bashing refs, and any violations result in a fine.
