It’s playoff time and emotions are high. We get it. But maybe sometimes it’s best not to point out the pink elephant in the room when your team is an 8 seed—exactly what Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy did right as the start of the second quarter began in their first round, Game 1 match up against the Cleveland Cavaliers today [Sunday, April 17]. Van Gundy, noted Lebron James is “LeBron” and the refs will let him “do what he wants.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BMLJccuHq8
After the game, Van Gundy attempted to clarify what he was trying to say.
Via ESPN
After the game, Van Gundy backpedaled and said the officiating was not the reason Detroit lost.
“Look, I thought it evened out really well,” Van Gundy said. “But early on, I thought there were two pretty obvious offensive fouls down there on him. But it’s two calls in an entire game after that. Look, the refereeing had nothing to do with tonight. They did a good job. It went both ways. I thought they did a really good job. It was decided by the players on the floor, as it should be.”
Van Gundy said he felt he could have done things differently.
“There’s some things that I regret, myself,” Van Gundy said. “I’m proud of our guys. I thought they competed hard. I think there’s some things I got to do to help them a little bit more.”
