The first-year NBL coach echoes calls from the Perth crowd on Friday night to not make so many "ticky touchwood foul" calls.

The Phoenix lost to Perth by 26 points at RAC Arena in arguably the scrappiest game of the season.

Both teams were frustrated by some of the fouls called, particularly in the first half.

The Phoenix collected four team fouls in 90 seconds to start the second term; bettered only by Perth picking up five team fouls within 53 seconds not long after.

Mitchell says the calls weren't just against his side, but believes the referees should be encouraged to let some of the doubtful ones go.

"The 14,000 people come here to see the stars play at their best and I don't get some of the decisions that get made," Mitchell said.

"Maybe it's a foul, maybe it's not. If it's easy to call, easy to let go - let it go!

"I just thought there was too much ticky touchwood stuff that hampered both teams.

"Let them play.

"There is a kid like Dane Pineau, who is playing really good basketball. He gets whistled for too early; that's not what people come here for."

But Mitchell conceded that it was their poor execution and Perth's defence that cost the Phoenix the game, stating that his side "put the scrappy into the scrappiness".

One of Mitchell's other concerns was that new import Davondrick Walker top-scored for the Phoenix on Friday, despite only meeting his teammates the night before the game.

Walker wasn't always standing where Mitchell expected him to be, but he scored seven points in the final term to finish with 16 for the game.

Mitchell said that Walker would benefit from working through video of the game before facing the Kings in Sydney on Sunday.

"We met him last night," Mitchell said after loss.

"We gave him a 20-minute film, a play book. We had to make that as simple as possible.

"He can shoot the ball. He led us in scoring; that's a real negative actually.

"He showed enough tonight that we have another body that we can throw out there, which is important."

Because of the big margin on Friday night, the Phoenix rested some players late in the game with the flight and a game against the Kings in mind.

Australian Associated Press