I didn't say Dirk never flopped, but it's not part of his normal game like Wade. As to the other link posted by pharnmd, the foul was called on contact, so there was nothing to sell. The foul was called early. Even if Dirk flopped there which I don't believe he did, it was irrelevant to the play. That alone makes the whole use of that link a really bad example of flopping and why I said "try again". As to my obsession, it is what it is. I don't trust NBA refs, we know one has been crooked and the odds are there are others. Not much to argue about. I do agree with the link I posted that shows way to much contact between refs and coaches/players and what we are seeing is similar to what goes on in congress. Regardless, I do think when Cuban was whining all the time, it brought a prejudice against the Mavs. It's human nature. Fortunately for all of us, Cuban finally wised up and stopped it. I will say the play offs up to this point have been called pretty evenly. Dirk got a lot of calls early in the OKC series, but so did Durant and Westbrook. Then the refs went totally the other way, but at least it was consistent. My main issue so far was the overturn of the call in the Portland series. It was bogus and I think pretty much everyone agreed except 3 officials. Not sure how that happens, but other then that, I can't complain this year too much. That call had the potential to be a game changer, so it was big at the time. On a side note, I'm ready for football. BBall is just passing the time until fall practice starts and I turn my Saturdays over to the Horns. I don't watch the NFL and I don't generally watch the NBA. I would like to see Dirk and Kidd get a ring, but if they do, I probably won't watch the NBA again for a while. I caught 12 sand bass and a nice cat today. 20 sand bass the trip before. That's better then the NBA any day.
I actually agree with the pharm on this one. Flopping is not just manufacturing a call out of thin air. It is selling a call to an official and sometimes involves actual fouls and sometimes not. Wade gets calls where there is no foul committed. The entire '06 finals is an example of this and why wadster obsesses over the refs. Dirk typically is getting fouled, but he does his share of flopping, as he should. Anyone who doesn't flop hasn't learned to play the NBA game. By the way, this an nba problem exclusively and it's ridiculous. Until they change the rules though, Dirk and wade are just doing their jobs. I have no problem with it, and roll my eyes when it occurs but those eye rolls are directed at the officials.
PHarm, as I said, the foul in your link was called right away before Dirk ever fell backward. There was nothing to sell there. The play was already determined. Not sure what more to say. You stating that all teams flop some doesn't change your original assertion that 1) Dirk travels on his move to the basket 2) Dirk flops Neither of these have you substantiated. I'm sure you can find clips of where Dirk has traveled, and where he has flopped, but I just don't see either as a regular part of his game. I'll look for the 3 steps off the dribble in the next game. Maybe he does and I and the refs have missed it. It's certainly possible considering the amount of traveling tolerated in the NBA.
Speaking of Wade's flopping, on his final shot in Game 2, he falls down & grabs his eye (see below). Did Dirk even get close to touching him? I'm pretty sure he didn't. But if Wade would have got that call & then won the game with 3 free throws, something would have definitely got broken in my house. The way he gets calls, it wouldn't have shocked me to see it happen. Here's a website I found interesting, that is reviewing the NBA officiating: Ref calls
Really? Calling someone out for using widespread fan lingo that everyone across the country uses, including I'm sure a large number of Horn fans on hornfans.com? Really?
Tough loss. We have got to get 2 in a row now. I am listening to idiot Magic talk about how this is the best we can play. Wow. We shoot only 40%. Marion 4-12. Terry 5-13. Kidd 4 TOs. Dirk 3 TOs. We didn't turn the ball over like we did in game 2, but we had 14 TOs, a lot of which were at crucial times, especially Dirk and kidd. And, we didn't have Haywood, which is not to be overlooked.
Refs are gonna miss some calls every game, but giving miami 3 extra points on the Chalmers shot at the end of the 1st is inexcusable considering they could've even reviewed it. HOOK 'EM, Texdoc
Disappointing to lose at home, but I didn't think the Mavs would win them all at home anyway especially the way they are constantly trying to dig themselves out of holes. Take the next two at home and it'll go 7. Otherwise, they Mavs will be done in 6 (if not 5).
Not only did Magic make the comment about the best we can play, he followed that up with the fact that we need more from the starters. So kidd and Marion had average games, but that's the best we can play? They really need to take his *** of the air.
He did slugga, but it was also clearly a backcourt violation when Haslem threw the ball back to Chalmers before the shot. HOOK 'EM, Texdoc
It was not a backcourt violation. He was in mid air before controlling the ball (in fact before even touching it), and controlled the ball as he was landing in the front court. And even then, there were 36 minutes left to play, Dallas had a bunch of calls go their way, etc. Seriously, the idea that the Heat could only get 15 FT attempts in a playoff game is just stupid.
He doesn't have to control it, & I respectfully disagree that he had established himself in the frontcourt before touching the ball. He jumped with his foot straddling the halfcourt line & had not come down yet when the ball got to him. HOOK 'EM, Texdoc
The only reference to that rule, oddly enough, that I've ever seen was in 2006 when Miami played Dallas in the NBAF (I think it was game 5) where Wade did something similar. Some NBA rules guy was quoted in ESPN as saying something to the effect of "Wade was in the air when he caught the ball, and his position wasn't determined until he landed." But again, even if you're right, it's profoundly dishonest to say Dallas wins the game if the "correct" call was made. Playing the "refs!" card might pass as an art form in Dallas (I blame Cuban for this), but it really isn't. Further, there've been far worse officiating atrocities in the NBA that in fact have led to totally fraudulent victories (see 2002 and 2004 LA Lakers).
yeah it's kind of hard for mavs fans to complain about the refs in a game that was decidedly pro-dallas. the heat took 40 shots in the paint to 24 for dallas and yet miami gets called for 27 fouls to 14 for dallas. in the final few minutes, you had dirk get 4 ft's on fouls 80 feet from the basket (in part because the heat were already in the penalty once again), the second of which appeared to involve no contact, and then just a few plays later marion lands on lebron as he's shooting and somehow no call is made. and after initially saying chalmers was OK, they came back and corrected it and said chalmers didn't establish himself (which i thought is how the rule always was meant to be called). and i know which play Hpslugga is referring to from the 2006 finals, and i initially thought that was a backcourt violation, too, but it turns out there was a key difference. in the 2006 play, it was an inbounds pass and apparently if you are in the air when you catch it, you can land on either side of halfcourt, no matter where you jumped from. but chalmers was catching a pass from the frontcourt and needed to be established, so as far as i know that's a backcourt violation. but that was a flea on the elephant of bad calls in the mavs' favor.
Going into game 3 my prediction was that they would split games 3 and 4 and set up pretty much a series deciding game 5. I still think this happens. Lebron has been Mr. Disappearo (my new nickname for him) late in these games. Missing everything and can't seem to get the ball out of his hands fast enough. Makes you wonder how good Miami will look when both Wade and James are playing well. He used to be an unstoppable force going to the rim and now he is settling for long jump shots and not knocking them down. Gotta make mention of the Kidd play again. Similar to last series where he pump faked a 3 and got the defender in the air and then jumped into the defender (I hate those calls BTW), to get the foul call. On review it appeared that he shuffled his feet but no travel was called. It is not a reviewable play but since this has happened twice, perhaps they should look at this rule in the offseason.
It is foolish to suggest that missed backcourt violation cost the Mavs the game, but when the difference in the game is 2 points, and the Heat are awarded a hailmary-half-court-3-ball, it definitely stings. The Mavs lost the game b/c it seemed as if every damn turnover was immediately converted into a highlight-reel dunk. They only had 14 turnovers, but Miami's points-efficiency off of those has been absurd. It's led to a run-out in almost every case it feels like. When Miami has been forced into trying to run actual half-court sets, they've tended to bog down, much like Dallas has. Sure, they've gotten some dunks in some one-on-one situations, but that isn't happening as often as it may seem.
Any Mavs fan that says "Refs call cost game" is a lunatic. Everything works the same for both teams. Mavs lacked finishing touch. Gotta win Game 4 to make it a 3-game series. Hook'em!!! @ Roma
