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Wizards critical of 'soft calls' in Game 4 win

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

There were plenty of fouls and free throws at Capital One Arena on Sunday evening in Game 4 between the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards - perhaps too many.

Even in victory, some of the Wizards remained befuddled by the officials' willingness to blow the whistle.

"I don't know, I truly believe that some of those calls are very soft," center Marcin Gortat said afterward, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I have never seen so many soft calls in playoffs, but I have to go back to the tape and watch it again. I may be wrong and had a bad angle."

The two sides combined for 49 personal fouls and 62 free-throw attempts in Washington's 106-98 win, which evened the series 2-2.

Perhaps the most controversial call of the evening came late in the fourth quarter when All-Star Bradley Beal fouled out with 4:58 remaining. Beal attempted to hold his ground as DeMar DeRozan fell into him after gaining possession, but Beal was deemed the guilty party in the collision, resulting in his expulsion.

"When initially they called me for my sixth, I was beyond emotional, beyond mad, frustrated," Beal said. "Pretty much any synonym you can add on that list. And I honestly thought they were going to kick me out of the game because I was so mad. I was happy they didn't do that."

Beal and teammate John Wall were also critical of the officiating after losing Game 1 at the Air Canada Centre, citing several instances where Toronto players got away with grabbing and holding.

The series heads north of the border for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

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