Phil Jackson Fined $35K for Criticizing Refs

Phil wasn’t particularly impressed with Bennett Salvatore’s work on Sunday, and as a result, his wallet is a tad lighter today. From the OC Register: “Jackson seemed to be criticizing Ron Artest’s inability to navigate the officials more than the officials themselves, but nevertheless Jackson did have some choice words, including: ‘With Bennett (Salvatore), you don’t know what you’re going to get.’ Referees Salvatore and Bennie Adams both ruled that Artest and San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili merited double technical fouls for trying to make stands before an inbounds play a minute before halftime. Salvatore then gave Kobe Bryant a technical foul also when he approached, with Jackson skeptical about the basis of that technical. Jackson said he talked to Artest postgame and said: ‘You’ve got to back off when it’s time to back off.’ But Jackson did say about the referees: ‘They wouldn’t let Ron play.’ Jackson also said about the Lakers’ deeds and the refs’ reactions: ‘The way we ended up the half, I think, turned the referees against us.”’