Kevin Huerter has had more than four months to adjust to life on the West Coast after the Hawks traded the sharpshooting guard and forward to the Kings in July.
While the New York native has acclimated to the culture in Sacramento, Huerter apparently hasn’t yet calibrated his mind to the way the NBA officials call Kings’ games.
Huerter, who is in his fifth NBA season, appeared on KHTK 1140 AM in Sacramento on Wednesday, and said he has noticed a difference in how referees officiate the Kings, in contrast to other teams.
“That is something that within the first [nine] games has been noticeable,” Huerter said, per KHTK. “I won’t say which teammates, but a couple of teammates that have been here said, ‘Things are different here in Sac. We don’t get many calls.’ You’re going to realize in every game that things are different, and honestly it is something I’ve felt so far.”
Huerter’s comment comes after Sacramento has dealt with two controversial calls that might have changed the outcomes in games. The Kings suffered a 110-107 loss to the Heat on Nov. 2 due to a game-winning three pointer from Tyler Herro. However, the league later admitted the Heat star should’ve been called for a traveling violation.
Two days later, the NBA confirmed that Huerter was fouled on a potential game-tying, three-point attempt in the Kings’ 116-113 loss to the reigning NBA-champion Warriors.
“We’ve been working so hard as a team,” Huerter said. “Obviously, as a city, they [Sacramento fans] want us to win. … For a team and a city that’s trying to change things and continue to get as many wins as possible, it’s definitely a frustrating pill to swallow walking off the court.”
Sacramento (3-6) currently sits near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Through nine games this season, Huerter is averaging 16.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 49.5% from the field and 51.5% from three-point range.
