T-Wolves versus Lakers Game 4

[Joe Mama]

I honestly don't know how these players can control themselves sometimes. These referees are terrible. If I was one of the Timberwolves or Flip Saunders I probably would have attacked one of them already. Kevin Garnett should have already been to the line 3-4 times, and Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal should be on the bench in foul trouble. It's absolutely ridiculous what they're allowing Karl Malone to do to the league MVP.


Joe

 

[devilalum]

I honestly don't know how these players can control themselves sometimes. These referees are terrible. If I was one of the Timberwolves or Flip Saunders I probably would have attacked one of them already. Kevin Garnett should have already been to the line 3-4 times, and Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal should be on the bench in foul trouble. It's absolutely ridiculous what they're allowing Karl Malone to do to the league MVP.


Joe

The Lakers are the league MVP. (Most Valueable Property)

LAkers in the Finals = Mega Millions more in TV money.

Minnesota vs. Indiana would be a financial disaster.

 

[Chaz]

Yea, this is ridiculous.


It is not really worth watching if the outcome has been decided.

 

[slinslin]

Kobe took over the 3rd quarter and that's basically the entire story about this game. You don't even need to know more.

 

[fordronken]

I'm so tired of refferee complaints. Every single person on the planet thinks the team they are rooting for is being beaten by the officials. I hear it after every single Suns game of the regular season, I hear it from people on this board after Laker games, and I hear it from Laker fans, Wolves fans, Spurs fans, Pistons fans...

Players decide the game. Period. If you're gonna win the game, go out and win it.

 

[F-Dog]

I agree with Joe Mama. It was hard to watch the Wolves get mugged over and over, while the so-called referees sucked on their whistles.


This was the worst-officiated game I've seen in the playoffs this year.

 

[Joe Mama]

I'm so tired of refferee complaints. Every single person on the planet thinks the team they are rooting for is being beaten by the officials. I hear it after every single Suns game of the regular season, I hear it from people on this board after Laker games, and I hear it from Laker fans, Wolves fans, Spurs fans, Pistons fans...

Players decide the game. Period. If you're gonna win the game, go out and win it.

BS. It's not that the referees have been so terribly uneven. It's that the way they are calling the games is killing Minnesota's chances. Kevin Garnett is the league MVP. The referees are allowing Karl Malone to shove him, slap him, elbow him, etc. with regularity. It's a right out there in the open too. It's not even Larry Bird pulling on his opponents jerseys dirty play. He just put his hand right into Kevin Garnett's chest and pushes him every other time KG goes up for a shot. When KG tries to drive Malone pushes or grants him with both hands. It's blatant.

This is the ugly type of basketball that people do not want to see, yet the referees are encouraging it by allowing the game to be played like football.

Joe Mama

 

[arthurracoon]

*sigh*

 

[Chaplin]

I did not watch tonight's game, but I will say I thought last night's game between the Pistons and Pacers was terribly called. The calls were very erratic, for 5 minuts only the Pistons would get called for fouls, the next 5 minutes only the Pacers. On one end of the floor, Reggie Miller would get manhandled, on the other, Rip Hamilton gets brushed by someon and they call the foul.

I didn't see tonight, but so far last night was the worst officiated game of the playoffs--heck, it ranked up there with the worst officiated game I've ever seen. And it wasn't in favor of any team, it was horribly called on both sides.

 

[George O'Brien]

I would to have a video session with some refs and ask them to explain their calls. Granted camera angles are different than being on the floor, but I think it would be a humiliating experience for them.

They supposedly have a review process, etc.; but obviously it is not working. I think if a few owners would join Mark Cuban in demanding changes something might happen. Firing about a dozen refs would be a great start, but insisting on calling games the same way independent of the team, the location, or the players would be a huge step forward. If they can't, then can them and hire new guys.

 

[Errntknght]

The Pistons-Pacers game had the stupidest call I've ever seen - a referee directly behind Billups called him for double dribble when there was no way he could see whether he did it or not. It didn't appear that he did double dribble and the replay clearly showed he didn't. What makes it ultra dumb is that Billups was just bringing the ball upcourt with no pressure so had he double dribbled he'd have gained no advantage from it.

That said, I generally like the officiating in that series - the refs seem to be trying to let the players decide the outcome. If they called it tight it would be a free throw shooting contest and dull. Now and then one of them forgets himself and calls a ticky tack foul but they've kept it balanced pretty well so far so it's not favoring either team too much. One game Ben W. got two bad calls against him very early and he had to sit much of the first half... that could have been decisive but I think Pistons won the game.

 

[Joe Mama]

See I really don't like the argument that the referees are "letting the players determine the outcome." They are essentially saying that they don't want to make any calls because they might screw something up. Well by allowing teams to manhandle each other they have made the games very ugly, and in the case of the Lakers/Timberwolves series they've given one team the advantage. The players have enough trouble hitting shots without allowing the defenses to play touchy-feely with a guy going to the basket.


Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

See I really don't like the argument that the referees are "letting the players determine the outcome."

Exactly. The referees' influence is the same either way -- if they make calls, it benefits one team, and if they don't, it benefits the other.