Because the commentators never miss anything....yeah, right. I'm not surprised at all that only a few media people have brought up the 'airball' issue. That would take away from the controversy....and people like controversy.
coming from a Spurs fan... calling this a conspiracy is weak and sad this doesn't take away from the fact that the officials missed a ton of calls but come on
Yes but NBA players consistently get away with minor traveling violations numerous times over the course of every game. His right foot lifts off the floor a split-second before the ball actually ceases to touch his right hand, so yes, technically traveling, and something that probably happened 10-15 times over the course of the game for each team.
I am a Spurs fan and do not believe there is a conspiracy involved for all the reasons mentioned. The Spurs have not been playing well for whatever reason. That the NBA would prefer a Boston-LA final is completely understandable for rating reasons, but hoping for a result and doing anything to make it happen is completely different. The NBA already has the specter of bought refs over their head. From a business standpoint, they would be insane to risk any appearance of impropriety which if it came out would essentially destroy the game. Foul shot differential means nothing since teams settling for jump shots are not going to be fouled as much. Stating foul differential means anything without looking at individual plays shows lack of basketball knowledge. Having said all that, he was clearly fouled at the end of the game and the refs showed no cahones in not calling it.
And this, "had to go up once he got bumped" and "had to sell the call" to me, is bogus. He showed the ball to Fisher, who went for it like a rookie. Barry then ducks to dribble to an open spot to shoot but can't do it because Fisher has landed on him. Why should he be required to fling the ball toward the basket in hope of getting a foul shot essentially on Fisher's terms, when, if Fisher doesn't foul, he probably gets off a better shot in time, on his terms? I don't care who wins the game, but I'd like to see fouls be called fouls.
I definitely do not believe the fix is in, but to not call Fisher for that foul should get that entire crew suspended. It was a clear foul that anybody in their right mind would have called not named Joey Crawford.
To me, fix/conspiracy - no. Poor officiating by a referee with a controversial history against the Spurs AND perceived (at least suspected)favoritism towards Lakers/Celts - yes.
HA! This is hilarious. So they should call a foul but they shouldn't call the travel? Ha. If anyone can claim a fix it's the Mavs fans back in the Dwane Wade fiasco.
looks like the fix is in for game 5 also. kobe is on pace for 2 free throws tonight. edit: they won't even let kobe go to the line when they call a foul while he's shooting. apparently he was hopping in the air and going to fire a pass right in the vicinity of the rim or something.
Im not saying this is a fix, but the league would lose a HELL OF A LOT OF MONEY with another ho-hum nobody cares Detroit-SA series. Im sure Stern is tired of small market teams (SA and Detroit) winning the Championship and that matchup would be another ratings nightmare for the league. Whereas Boston vs. LA is Sterns wet dream. For whatever reason SA seemed a lot less energized and enthusiastic about this series than in the past....spooky
The Lakers teach the fans a lesson, if the officiating is dead set against you (game 5) you overcome, not pray and later whine.
If I'm the referee, I'm not going to call that a foul in an end-of-game situation like that. LeBron had the same thing happen to him last year against the Spurs in Game 3 of the Finals. At the end of the game, Bowen intentionally fouled him but nothing was called. Refs just don't call last-second fouls unless it's extraordinarily blatant. For reference to that Spurs-Cavs game, here you go: The Link
Wow when the Spurs were winning over the last few seasons I always said that the refs could sway a game or two here or there to elongate a series.....I never said they fixed an entire series though like this thread suggests....but I was cast down as one who had no proof of such conspiracy theories and need not bring such darkness on the light of the Spurs. Now all of a sudden there is just a ton of bitching about officiating and about a conspiracy to throw the series. There are way too many hypocrites on here. You can't have it one way last year and a different way this year. Anybody who really thinks the Spurs were the better team in this series or this year have to be kidding themselves. Move on. A good series. Both teams came to play. LA had an MVP and young roster around him that stepped up and proved why they were #1 in the West in the regular season. The Spurs played good but ran out of gas at end of games and in this series as a whole. Maybe they just don't have the all out desire with 3-4 rings now.
