Head coach Phil Jackson (right) of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to referee Greg Willard during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers in January. (AFP)

NEW YORK (AFP) – Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson was fined $35,000 by the NBA for criticizing game officials.

The fine was for Jackson's comments prior to the Lakers' victory over Sacramento on Tuesday, but his remarks referred to officiating calls on Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant.

Durant led the league in free-throw attempts with an average of 10.3 per game this season.

"As far as the calls that he gets on the floor, I think a lot of the referees are treating him like a superstar," said Jackson, whose Lakers will face Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs starting on Sunday.

"He gets to the line easy and often."

Durant took exception to Jackson's comments when he heard of them on Wednesday.

"Because it's taking away from what I do," Durant told The Oklahoman newspaper.

"That's part of my game, getting to the free-throw line and being aggressive. If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that's just taking away from how I play. That's disrespectful to me."

It was the second time this month that Jackson was fined for comments regarding officiating.

He was docked the same amount for his remarks after a loss to San Antonio on April 4, when he said the "referees turned against us".