Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome said he was “particularly” satisfied with the official NBA Natalie Sago in Sunday's late 133-129 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Cavaliers' sixth guy, finishing 25 points off the bench, picked out Sago for a “really bad” performance while blowing the host away in Cleveland.
“I thought the ref was really bad tonight, especially Natalie, she was really bad.” Jerome, 27, said When reporters asked how Cleveland found the rhythm, the team paired it up for a 70 free throw attempt.
“When that happens, they lose control of the game and have to keep their heads up. The first half was ridiculous and the third quarter was horrifying.”
East's first team, Cavs, age 18, played under two minutes in the third quarter before returning to force overtime and secure a 10-game winning streak.
Sago is in his sixth season as an NBA judge. Jerome was rated as a technical foul First quarter.
They appeared to exchange words near the team's bench, as Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson observed, but it is unclear what was said.
Atkinson, who? I called it a “cuttered” gameexplained that he was watching the film in detail.
“I have to go back and watch the film,” he said. “There's a great referee in this league. I didn't think it was a big sight for the fans, the media, or for us as coaches. It seems like a certain stop. I'll leave it as is.”
It was a very whistle-heavy contest.
The Cavaliers were fouled out by Evan Mobley, similar to Blazers rookie center Donovan Klingan.
Jerome and forward DeAndre Hunter scored 57 points in their 50th victory of the season.
Jerome added six assists and had six career-high six steels.
Atkinson also praised Jerome's grit.
“You're hoping for a dip at some point, but he's just going on and he just keeps going.” Atkinson said. “And again, no one had expected to finish the game with him. Perhaps earlier this year, he wasn't in the rotation, so now he's finished the game. I needed to handle his balls tonight. I needed his moxie, his grit.”
Jerome currently averages 16.1 points with 54% shooting in the last 17 games.
The 50-10 mark Cavaliers will play the Bulls (24-37) in Chicago on Tuesday.
