The Brooklyn Nets pulled off a big upset over the Miami Heat last night in double overtime, but the Heat spent the second overtime period without LeBron James, who fouled out on a somewhat questionable offensive foul call.
LeBron James calls out Andrei Kirilenko for flopping
The MVP took exception to Kirilenko trying to draw the foul in Friday night’s game.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
James was already testy after he was the victim of a flagrant foul by Mirza Teletovic in the fourth quarter, but after the game he wasn't pleased with Andrei Kirilenko for trying to draw calls from the refs. From CBS Sports' Ken Berger:
“I thought Kirilenko flopped a few times, to be honest about it,” James said. “He flopped a few times and he got the call. I thought the last one that fouled me out, that could’ve been a charge for sure. He was trying to put his hands on me as I drove and that’s’ what got him off balance and he was able to get the call. But Kirilenko flopped on me a couple of times.”
The irony of James complaining about flopping is not lost on this writer; he’s long been one of the league’s most notorious floppers for years. However, he hadn’t fouled out of a regular season game since 2008, so something out of the ordinary was going on, either with his fouling, the calls, or the Nets’ flopping.
James was completely carrying Miami when he went down with 36 seconds left in the first overtime. Without him, the Heat lost to the Nets, 104-95. James finished the game with 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
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