FOUL TUNE VS. JAZZ
SALT LAKE CITY — A candid Carmelo Anthony explained his recent frustrations at not getting enough foul calls when barreling to the hoop, saying he’s been told by referees he’s the most “difficult player” to officiate. Still, he vowed not to flop like others do.
Anthony, who had received a technical foul in two straight games before Wednesday’s 10685 destruction at the hands of the Jazz, was in a fivegame slump, with his shooting percentage dipping to 40.6 percent on the season. He admitted his wife, La La, chastised him for yelling at female referee Lauren Holtkamp late in Monday’s loss to the Mavericks.
“They just tell me I’m the most difficult player to ref eree in the NBA,’’ Anthony said at the morning shootaround before shooting 3 of 11 for 12 points. “I’ve heard that a couple of times. It’s unclear on who is creating the contact. My goal is to go to the basket. If I’m creating the contact going toward the basket [and] I get hit, it’s a foul.’’
Anthony, one of the most physical drivers in the game, said he feels he hasn’t been effective recently because he’s not getting to the freethrow line.
“I always get fouled,’’ Anthony said. “That’s what’s frustrating me. You play so hard, work so hard and don’t benefit from that. You look at other guys, you touch them and look at them wrong and [they] get fouls. It’s a frus trating thing for me as a guy who likes to go to the basket, play in the paint. I like to play physical. It’s frustrating.
“I’m human. Those frustrations kick in at times, especially when you’re down there banging and know you’re getting banged on. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know how to play another way.’’
So does he need to sell the foul more? Anthony, a product of the Brooklyn/ Baltimore schoolyards, said he doesn’t play the game that way.
“See, I don’t know how to flop, that’s the thing,” Anthony said. “Nowadays guys know how to flop, get hit and put their head back. I don’t know how to flop. I won’t even look right trying to do that. I won’t even feel right trying it.”