WOLLONGONG, NSW - Illawarra Hawks head coach Justin Tatum has led a new wave of criticisms toward both the NBL's officiating and Melbourne United's Chris Goulding, in a string of attacks that called out the league's "incompetent referees" following a controversial sequence of events in his team's loss on Thursday.
The incident that sparked Tatum's frustration occurred late in the Hawks' game against Melbourne United on Thursday evening in Wollongong.
United had an 87-84 lead and possession with 22.1 seconds remaining in the contest. Chris Goulding dribbled the ball down the right side of the floor, took some light contact from the Hawks' Will Hickey - seemingly tweaking left ankle in the process - and fell to the floor. A foul was called on Hickey, which led Tatum and the Hawks' bench to aggressively appeal.
Because the clock never started, the officials determined it was a dead ball, so the foul was voided and United would restart their possession under their own basket with the original 22.1 seconds remaining. However, because of Tatum's outburst toward the officials, he was issued a technical foul.
Goulding would proceed to hit the technical free throw, giving United an 88-84 lead.
United would go on to win the game 92-87, with Goulding posting a game-high 25 points.
"I told them that was a bleeping terrible call," Tatum said in his postgame press conference.
"I felt like any coach in this league would probably have the emotions at the same time if they felt that was going on. That was it. Once they got everything sorted, I felt that they guessed that was something that didn't need to be said. But, when I look to my left, I've seen Dean Vickerman standing right next to me in my box, trying to call a timeout which he didn't have.
"At the end of the day, I guess I'm not Dean at this time; which, I understand, I'm not. But, the respect factor with the officials and our group in general was just a poor display. But, they didn't cost us that game; us, as a team, didn't play to the 40 minutes I felt. It should never be left in the refs' hands; it should always be left to the players."
Tatum - the father of Boston Celtics wing, Jayson Tatum - was asked if, because of the technical foul he was issued, coaches around the league should now be offered the same punishment for directing an expletive toward an official.
"100 percent," he said. "But, it's only gonna be me. I'm intimidating. I guess my voice is too deep, I'm too tall, my skin colour's different, whatever it is. It's me. I hear the same coaches say similar or the same things or complain about the same stuff, and their leash is a little bit longer. I guess I have to be made an example out of."
Tatum's ire was directed toward a mixture of the officiating and what he felt was embellishment from Goulding.
"We're just happy Chris Goulding didn't hurt himself flopping in front of us," Tatum said, sarcastically. "I'm glad he's injury-free. At the end of the day, the officials at that time, unfortunately, just made a bad decision, a bad call."
The decisions from the officials around the incident involving Goulding turned out to be material, with the technical free throw United was awarded stretching their lead out to four points. The Hawks would proceed to steal the ball and hit a three, cutting their deficit to one point; it would've been a tied game if Tatum hadn't picked up the technical foul.
"These [players] get paid a lot of money, the fans pay to come in here," Tatum said. "They wanna see the players; not some incompetent referees that feel that they're in their feelings at that time, to dictate the game, but it is what it is."
Chants of 'flop' rang around Wollongong's Win Entertainment Centre, as fans in the building became more and more incensed every time a replay of the sequence was shown on the jumbotron.
As officials were deliberating the decision in the immediate aftermath of the sequence, the Hawks' majority owner, Jared Novelly, got up from his courtside seat and stormed toward the exits. As he exited the courtside area, he approached this reporter: "You can quote me," he told ESPN, frustratingly. "That was a flop."
It marks the second time in as many weeks that a majority owner of an NBL franchise has criticised Goulding for embellishing contact. South East Melbourne Phoenix owner Romie Chaudhari posted an attack toward the United guard after the two teams faced each other in Round 5: "Goulding constantly flops and cries about it, that sh*t is weak," he said on X.
"I'm not gonna talk about it too much," Vickerman said postgame, when told of Novelly's comments about Goulding.
"I thought he turned an ankle a little bit. There was some contact. There was some things there. But, he had a hell of a game. He was huge for us today; the way he wanted the basketball in big moments, the shots he wanted to take. That's the Chris Goulding that I wanna talk about. [His] birthday today, so wanted to celebrate for him."
It was Goulding's shot-making that helped lift United to the win over a Hawks team that was atop the NBL ladder going into the matchup. The now-36-year-old finished with a season-high 25 points, shooting 5-of-11 from beyond the three-point line and 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
As has been the case all season, United was guided by their defence, using a particularly restrictive second quarter - going on a 19-7 run in the final six minutes of the period - to steal momentum of the game.
"They are the best defensive team in the league, they do what they did," Tatum said. "It's disappointing not to play to our best ability and allow another team to defeat us on our home court."
United jumped out to a 52-41 lead midway through the third quarter, thanks to a Goulding three, but the Hawks managed to cut that deficit to just one point heading into the final period.
Both teams traded leads in the fourth quarter, before a Flynn Cameron turnaround jumper and Goulding three-pointer gave United a 78-74 advantage with three minutes to play; a lead Vickerman's team would never relinquish, though it came close. The Hawks hit three three-pointers in the final 27 seconds of the game to counteract United's attempt to close out the game at the free throw line. A Todd Blanchfield three put the home team's deficit at just 88-87 with 16 seconds to play, but back-to-back trips to the line from Jack White ended up being enough to seal the victory.
United - who moved to 5-3 with the win - did it without Shea Ili (calf) and Matthew Dellavedova (ankle and knee soreness), with second-year guard Cameron stepping up in their absence, posting 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists in his first start of the season. Vickerman said he was hopeful Dellavedova would be available for Sunday's game against the Cairns Taipans, while Ili is eyeing a return against the Sydney Kings in Round 7.
White was also extremely impactful in the contest, dominating the glass in a game where possessions became particularly vital down the stretch. The forward finished with 12 points, 19 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks, as well as the game-sealing free throws.
The Hawks were led by Will Hickey, who came off the bench for 17 points, five rebounds, and six assists. The athletic guard entered the game on the back of signing a new three-year extension with the Hawks, and made crucial plays on both ends down the stretch.
Trey Kell III suffered a nasty fall toward the end of the second quarter, reaggravating an existing back injury; it would ultimately force him out of the remainder of the game. He left the arena with a significant limp.
Next up for the Hawks - who are now 5-2 - is a matchup against the Phoenix on Saturday night. United faces the Taipans on Sunday afternoon.