Sports

Phoenix Suns Coach Monty Williams Rails On Officials After Giannis Antetokounmpo Shoots 24 Free Throws In Bucks Win

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When the Phoenix Suns shook up the NBA and traded for Kevin Durant on Feb. 9, most assumed the they’d become the clear-cut favorite to win an NBA championship.

But the reality has been far different in the games since.

Durant has spent most of that time on the shelf with various injuries, and Phoenix has just a 7-5 record since his acquiring the future hall of famer.

In face, Durant has played just three games for the Suns, all of which were victories.

So you can understand why Phoenix head coach Monty Williams may be feeling a little exasperated. That exasperation boiled over on Tuesday night when the Suns fell to the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks, 116-104.

NBA MVP candidate Gianis Antetokounmpo had 36 points in the Milwaukee victory. But 14 of those points came from the free throw line on an eye-water 24 attempts.

Phoenix, meanwhile, shot just 16 free throws as a team. That did not sit well with Williams, the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year Award winner.

““It’s not fair,” William said of the free throw disparity. “Book (Devin Booker) has 3 free throws… And Jrue Holiday is one of the most physical defenders in the game, he has 3. Giannis has 24 free throws. It’s ridiculous, there’s no other way to put it. DA (Deandre Ayton) can’t play when a guy just runs into you the entire game. We’ve dealt with this so many times with this team. And credit to him (Antetokounmpo). He saw the way the game was being called. He kept doing it. But that’s hard to swallow.”

Williams’ frustrations are understandable. Antetokounmpo also torched the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals en route to a Bucks championship.

The superstar forward averaged 35.2 points per game in the series and went to the line 14.2 times per game on the way to winning the NBA Finals MVP.

Though NBA refs would likely have a simple answer to his complaints…

Phoenix now sits at 37-32 and in fourth place in the Western Conference with 13 games remaining in the regular season.