Lakers News: Darvin Ham Critical Of Apparent Lack Of Foul Calls In Game 5 Loss To Warriors

LA's head coach had some thoughts.

It appears that the shoe is now on the other foot when it comes to head coaches bemoaning referees' foul calling.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr complained about your Los Angeles Lakers being rewarded with free throw line trips for excessive flopping during LA's 104-101 Game 4 win over the Dubs.

Now, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is getting in on the fun, deriding referees for not calling fouls in his Lakers' 121-106 Game 5 face palm against the Warriors. Los Angeles could have beaten Golden State on the road and advanced to the Western Conference Finals with plenty of time off in between playoff rounds. 

Instead, LA fell, hard, and now the series returns to Crypto.com Arena for the Lakers to get another shot at moving on in a series it still leads 3-2.

LA got just 15 free throw tries in Game 5, after enjoying 37 trips to the line in Game 4.

Darvin Ham speaks on Anthony Davis’s head injury and the importance of recovery for Game 6 on Friday. pic.twitter.com/L79lTdUR0b

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 11, 2023

"I mean we played the same we always play, I don't know what's a foul anymore," Ham said. "We play a physical brand of basketball, we don't teach flopping... You see 'Bron, he's got a thousand scratches on his arm, same with AD, same with Austin Reaves, same with Lonnie Walker."

A lot of the Lakers' offense is generated in the paint, unlike the more perimeter-oriented Warriors. One would expect LA's luck to turn a bit in Game 6, with a friendly home crowd possibly influencing the officiating in the Lakers' favor.

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