For Once, Refs Are Cherished
Finding out that there will be no grace period granted by referees returning from an NBA lockout, New Jersey Net Chris Childs was ejected with two-tenths of a second left before halftime Tuesday night against Orlando.
“The regular refs are more dominating,” said Magic star Anfernee Hardaway, who like most players welcomed their return. “They have a presence.”
But Orlando swingman Dennis Scott said, “These guys still made some bad calls. But it’s easier to deal with them when you know they’ve been around 10 or 12 years.”
Tuesday night marked the season’s first action for the regular refs, who were locked out for 5 1/2 weeks in a contract dispute with the league that brought complaints from players.
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