Bill Simmons Rips NBA Refs Over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Calls

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to a call against him during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14 free throws on his way to scoring 31 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night. The Timberwolves' two leading scorers, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, shot 13 free throws combined.

The officials working the game did not do anything to help SGA beat the free throw merchant allegations and this time The Ringer's Bill Simmons joined the chorus saying that SGA is getting a "whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting."

“I feel like Shai is getting this whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting.”@BillSimmons and @ZachLowe_NBA react to Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. pic.twitter.com/DScRLtHmew
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 21, 2025

"I feel like Shai is getting this whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting. Where these little touch fouls or these bumps where you're not even sure who initiated the bumps and he's just getting it. If you're Minnesota the one thing you're gonna come out of the game is we have to get a better whistle on these SGA calls. They were awful."

Lowe added that the Timberwolves came into the game upset with the calls they were expecting to get and said that "some clips will be sent to the league office between games one and two."

SGA is averaging 9.2 free throws a game in the postseason, which is up a little from the 8.8 he averaged in the regular season. However, Luka Doncic also averaged 9.2 free throws during the Lakers' five first round games and Donovan Mitchell averaged 9.9 free throw attempts in nine postseason games for the Cavaliers. It should also be noted that Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged a staggering 12.6 free throw attempts a game in Milwaukee's first round loss to Indiana.

But those other guys have all been eliminated and Simmons was not alone in his analysis of the way the referees called the game. If you search X you'll find many different versions of this tweet getting a lot of attention last night: