NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hornets coach Monty Williams says he put in calls to NBA headquarters to ask why game officials were allowing Lakers’ big men to stand in the paint under the New Orleans basket for more than 3 seconds and aggressively bump defenders out of the way.
Williams says he has spoken to NBA Vice President Stu Jackson in particular about the way Los Angeles center Andrew Bynum slammed his shoulder into Emeka Okafor’s chest to gain position for easy dunks in Game 3.
Williams says league officials were “gracious” and agreed with some of his criticism.
However, Williams also stresses that the officiating was by no means the reason for Hornets losses in Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series. He chalks that up to turnovers and poor rebounding.
