The ref VanVleet got fined for calling out is working today's Raptors game

Ben Taylor probably won’t be getting much of a cheer from the Toronto Raptors fanbase tonight.

Taylor, an NBA referee who was the target of heavy criticism from Raptors guard Fred VanVleet last week, has been assigned to work Toronto’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at Scotiabank Arena, as per the NBA’s website.

Following a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last week, VanVleet specifically targeted Taylor after he was awarded a technical foul in the third quarter.

“I don’t mind, I’ll take a fine. I thought Ben Taylor was f***ing terrible tonight,” VanVleet told the media in his post-game press conference. “I think that most nights, you know, out of the three, there’s one or two that just f*** the game up.”

VanVleet was fined $30,000 by the NBA for his comments.

“You can look it up: most of my techs this year have been with Ben Taylor officiating. So at a certain point as a player, you feel it’s personal and it’s never a good place to be. That’s not why we lost tonight, we got outplayed, but it definitely makes it tougher to overcome,” VanVleet added.

Taylor has called three technical fouls on VanVleet this season.

“I was a little emotional,” VanVleet said the next day after his rant. “Tough loss and things not going our way, so I got caught up in the moment… I’m human. You’ll see me make mistakes in real-time. A little unprofessional for my standard. It’s unfortunate, but it happened. You live and learn.”

VanVleet continued, saying, “I know the refs are trying their best… We’re gonna disagree at times. I think there are healthier ways to do it than what transpired last night. I take full accountability for my actions and what I said, but I think it’s a learning lesson for everybody.”

Tipoff for tonight’s game is set for 7:30 pm ET.

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