NBA

Kidd blasts refs: Maybe we have to start flopping

From the moment Jason Kidd began speaking to reporters on Thursday’s conference call, it was obvious that he had a point to make — the Nets should have gotten more calls in the Nets’ 115-113 Game 5 loss in Toronto Wednesday, and clearly is hoping to get more in his team’s favor during Game 6 in Brooklyn Friday.

“[It’s] kind of mind-boggling when someone shoots 23 times and only ends up with one free throw,” Kidd said in what was just the beginning of a series of comments about the officiating.

When asked if Johnson or the Nets might consider flopping, something Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have been successful with in the series, Kidd didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah. If flopping is the way to go, then maybe we have to play that game,” he said. “But Joe is a strong individual, and unfortunately he doesn’t flop. He plays and he doesn’t complain, but that’s why we have officials, for them to make calls.”

Kidd’s most pointed comment, however, came at the expense of official Tom Washington, who didn’t call a foul in the final seconds when Shaun Livingston appeared to be knocked out of bounds by DeRozan while trying to rebound Andray Blatche’s missed free throw.

“I thought Shaun made a heck of a play to come up with the rebound and get fouled right in front of Tom Washington, but no call was made,” Kidd said. “So, with that being said, [Blatche] came up with the ball and his intention was to get the ball to Deron [Williams], and it just didn’t work out.”

This isn’t the first time Kidd has taken issue with Washington. In 2006, Kidd was hit with a $20,000 fine when he referred to Washington and fellow referees Eric Lewis and Jim Clark as “three blind mice” after they didn’t call a foul on a potential game-winning jumper by Vince Carter after Rasheed Wallace bumped into him in a loss Detroit.

But after Kidd delivered his pointed criticisms Thursday, he took an opportunity to praise the officials and said the Nets can’t let calls that go against them impact how they play.

“That’s their interpretation,” Kidd said. “That’s why we have them. We have the best referees in professional sports, and so if he calls it, they call it and if not, they don’t.

“You have to play. That just happens. That’s just part of the game.”


The Nets’ official Twitter account apologized Thursday for a tweet sent out by a team reporter from the team’s account during the first half of Wednesday’s loss.

While the reporter was manning the account during the second quarter Wednesday, the team tweet, “Nets fans take note – this is what a playoff crowd sounds like..set your DVD and take notes.”

Shortly afterward, assistant general manager Bobby Marks responded, saying, “all I know is that the Nets have great fans. Stop comparing the Nets fans to what other teams do.”

In its apology tweet Thursday, the Nets said the original tweet, “Didn’t represent our organization’s feelings. We have great fans.”