Indiana Pacers news 2015: Paul George fined by NBA after venting out frustration regarding referees

Paul GeorgeReuters

It seems like Indiana Pacers forward Paul George's rant about referees following Friday's win over the Brooklyn Nets backfired at him as he was fined $35,000 by the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

Following the win, a frustrated George aired, in an interview with Fox Sports Indiana, his disappointment in the officials, saying, "The stripes was terrible. We had to go out and just play. The way this game was going and how they was calling it, we had to play."

George added, "It's frustrating, but hopefully the league does a better job of looking at sh*t like this."

Despite the issues with the referees, George still finished the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 36 minutes of action. 

According to a report by ESPN, the penalty was not the first for the 25-year-old forward this season as he was also fined $10,000 for the same offense following a loss to the Toronto Raptors in their first game of the 2015–16 regular season. 

ESPN added in the report that during the game versus the Nets, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel was given a technical foul for airing his thoughts why George was not fouled during an attempt to attack the rim. 

Unfortunately, George was not the first star to complain about the officiating this season. 

Earlier this month, New York Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who is known for his aggressiveness when driving to the basket, also called out the referees for calling less fouls for him. 

However, Anthony did not receive any disciplinary sanctions from the NBA following his comments regarding the officials. 

Meanwhile, it was a tough break for George and the Pacers because after their win over the Nets, they were beaten 96–84 by the Memphis Grizzlies last Saturday. 

The loss handed the Pacers a 16–10 record for the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings.