As far as wanting certain matchups so badly they will have the refs intentionally call bs fouls to tip scales in favor of one team? I'm not so naive to think that it doesn't happen (i.e. ravens last super bowl) but I just keep seeing people talk about it in the thunder spurs series.

Just curious

Here's how Shaq feels about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSJUdcwoltg

I don't think it's about matchups so much as about revenue. A 7 game series sells a lot more ads than a 5 game series. More ad inventory+ more eyeballs on the games = profit. Never mind that officials are influenced, intentionally or otherwise, by the crowd and their preconceived notions of how a series will go. I think its much less "the fix is in" than "this is an entertainment commodity.

There have been a few notable examples over the years. LAL/Sacramento in 2002 in particular comes to mind as a famous fix.

I don't think they consciously send in the fix for all or even most playoff games, but I definitely think they pick a game now and then to keep a series alive or make sure the "right" team closes out a series.

Spurs fans are just mad they lost this game... Just like any fan is when their team loses. I'm a Rockets fan and see us complain too (personally we shouldn't have let it come down to the refs). Every fan complains that the refs are playing against them. It's just not true. Calls usually even out throughout a game.

For this specific game, the spurs didn't attack the rim and turned the ball over more. Plus Ibaka kept them out of the paint which was huge in the first two games.

Dallas knows all about the fix being in with Wade's 25 something FTA in 1 game.

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For this specific game, the spurs didn't attack the rim and turned the ball over more. Plus Ibaka kept them out of the paint which was huge in the first two games.

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The last time I checked the box score in the fourth quarter, OKC only had 4 more points in the paint (compare that to the +50 the Spurs had in the first two games) and the Spurs had fewer turnovers. Once the game is over I'll rarely say the refs were the reason for a loss. As you say, if it was close there were plenty of things your team could have done to take it out of the officials hands. Also, officiating is usually not as one-sided as it seems in the heat of the moment. Ibaka is absolutely a huge difference maker and is the reason the Spurs' massive points in the paint advantage vanished, but it's not like OKC was taking everything to the hole and the Spurs were settling for jump shot after jump shot.

The Thunder got something like 25 free throws between the Spurs' last FT of the first half and first FT of the second half, plus a bonus erased three pointer when it looked like the Spurs were on the verge of getting back in the game. Once it was a 20 point game with 5 minutes to go and the scrubs came in, the Spurs got a few makeup calls to "even it out" and the bench cut it to 9. Evidence erased, unless you watched the game.

The Spurs went from 3:20 in the first half to 3:06 in the second half without a free throw. That's 23:44 without a free throw. In that 23:44, the Thunder had 29 free throw attempts. The score went from 47-40 San Antonio to 104-84 OKC, a 27 point swing.

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 5/25/2014 10:46p).]

Wow. That's pretty nuts.

That's actually 24:14 right?
(Just saying)

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The Thunder got something like 25 free throws between the Spurs' last FT of the first half and first FT of the second half, plus a bonus erased three pointer when it looked like the Spurs were on the verge of getting back in the game. Once it was a 20 point game with 5 minutes to go and the scrubs came in, the Spurs got a few makeup calls to "even it out" and the bench cut it to 9. Evidence erased, unless you watched the game.

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This. The media won't likely mention any of it and say how it was a close game.

Sorry, I meant to clarify that the Spurs turned it over more than they had compared to the first two games.

And as far as the free throw discrepancy goes, that happens (speaking from experience with the Rockets vs. Blazers series).. It sucks when it does and I'm sure Pop will have an answer for it the next game. Whether that is Parker driving more or posting up Duncan or whatever magic Pop comes up with. The Thunder played with a different kind of energy today and the Spurs didn't hit their shots.

I like to think it's up to the players to adjust to the calls being made. Harden didn't do that until Game 6 and we suffered for it.

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Spurs fans are just mad they lost this game... Just like any fan is when their team loses.

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Just curious did you watch the game? It's not about being mad they lost the game. Hell there's times when a team just outplays another team.

However, when you are doing your best to keep your team in the game just to have the refs step in and take it completely out of your hands its a another thing. After the last game Brooks *****ed about his team was not getting any calls or getting to the free throw. Low and behold this game refs ensure that happens. Yet anyone that watched the first two games will tell you the Spurs just gave them an ass whooping. You watch the game tonight and you can't tell me the thunder would have won regardless. Up until the 8 point swing on the Patty Mills 3pt foul call the Spurs were still in the game. Despite the fact that during that stretch the Thunder had outshot the Spurs team 29-0 from the free throw line.

Oh and to answer your question OP, YES the NBA is that bad. Hopefully, with Stern gone it'll slowly get better. Either way the game being influenced will always happen to a certain extent.

Yes I watched and the Mills non basket was BS. But can you tell me that the Spurs played like they did the first two games? Danny Green was the Danny Green in games 1-5 of the Finals last year in the first two games. 3/12 tonight. Tony didn't have his regular dominate game either. I think blaming the refs is a cop out when the Spurs didn't play as well as they usually do.

I also hate that Brooks complained about the refs. The Spurs just put the old fashioned beat down on them.. The refs didn't factor into that game at all. To me, blaming the refs is a cop out for your team not playing well (Brooks). I understand they miss calls, but to say they favor one team is a bit ridiculous.

Here's the thing Taj, they didn't even have to play like they did in the first 2 games because they were in it for most of the 3rd even with the FT ridiculousness.

You can still win with a bad night of shooting and the Spurs could easily have done that tonight without that 3rd Q of reffing.

I agree you can win with a bad shooting night, but it's going to be hard when you get out rebounded 52-36 (15-11 offensive rebounds)

You have to give credit to Ibaka for the way he played. Whether the injury was as serious as they hyped it up to be (personally you don't go from out for playoffs to playing a week after the "injury") he didn't play (or practice?) and came up big in a must win for them. I think this game was more about the Thunder winning and not the Spurs losing.

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I also hate that Brooks complained about the refs. The Spurs just put the old fashioned beat down on them.. The refs didn't factor into that game at all. To me, blaming the refs is a cop out for your team not playing well (Brooks). I understand they miss calls, but to say they favor one team is a bit ridiculous.

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The Spurs had a huge disparity in points in the paint in the first two games, but the free throws were actually pretty even; the Spurs were +7 free throw attempts in the two games combined. Honestly, I'd have expected that margin to be a little bigger, except that the Thunder flat out stopped defending for stretches.

In this game, I didn't feel like the Spurs were getting mugged with no call. Their offensive struggles were due to some poor shooting and Ibaka. The difference was on the other end of the court, where any semblance of defense drew a whistle for about half the game.

Rebounding effort was embarrassing and they missed some uncharacteristic shots, but 29 straight free throws for one team goes beyond one team being more aggressive. If the Spurs were a bad jump shooting team it would be a little more plausible, but the Spurs generally adjust well to officiating and are not a passive offensive team.

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I understand they miss calls, but to say they favor one team is a bit ridiculous.

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Taj help me out here buddy. I know you aren't naive enough to think certain teams or better yet players aren't favored by refs.

And to answer your question, yes you are absolutely right the Spurs did not play as well as they did the first 2 games. Part of that is due to Ibaka playing tonight. But aside from that the Spurs were still in this game. Some really awful calls put a halt to any momentum the Spurs got going. Go look at some of the ticky tack fouls that led to points for the Thunder. You can't tell me Westbrook played a good game. Guy go bailed out from some really terrible shots.

The more I watch Westbrook play, the more I think he's probably the dumbest player in the league. He has these tremendous athletic gifts and he plays next to the best shooter in the game, yet he's terribly inefficient. 44% from the field and 32% from three; I read an article the other day that said he is well below average from almost everywhere on the court. Watching these games, you can see him make bad decision after bad decision. He's got horrible shot selection and his defense is bad. I didn't realize this until now, but his career DRtg is higher than his ORtg, which means he is actually a net loss to his team on points per possession by that metric. Now, I don't think he's really a net loss to his team, but can you imagine if he would learn not to take stupid shots and save his BLARGHASJPOIDPSOIFBAL effort for actual opportunities rather than the moments when his crazy boils over the top?

Haha I understand that certain players get calls. Certain players also don't get calls on that same team. For instance, Harden gets a ton of calls to go his way. Howard gets hacked (pun kinda intended) and nothing. Lebron and Wade will get calls and Battier and Chalmers won't. It balances out for each team.

And listen I agree the Spurs could have won this game, but there was so much more than refereeing that impacted this game.

Absolutely worst no call was when Adams jumped up to block Duncan's shot before he got stripped and landed directly on top of him. No call

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Absolutely worst no call was when Adams jumped up to block Duncan's shot before he got stripped and landed directly on top of him. No call

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Then dumb*** Reggie Miller tries to explain that it wasn't a foul

NBA refs suck. But they aren't fixing games.

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Absolutely worst no call was when Adams jumped up to block Duncan's shot before he got stripped and landed directly on top of him. No call

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Then dumb*** Reggie Miller tries to explain that it wasn't a foul

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I believe he called it incidental contact. Most fouls are Reggie

There was a pretty blatant hand slap block by Ibaka on Green that was a no call and not one possession later a call against a Spur (can't remember who) on a made layup that could/should be a non-call if you let the hand slap slide.

There is for sure a mandate in the NBA offices to make most series after the first round last at least 5 games. I have watched many series of many teams I was not invested in be called in ticky-tack manner.

The Spurs were out hustled on the rebound end and had a lot of turn-overs but the disparity in the calls and an absurd call like the Mills 3 pointer are glaring.

The NBA is by far the worst in terms of officiating in all of sports.

What about Perkins first 3 fouls? Those seemed like ticky tac fouls. But spurs fans don't want to mention that I guess.

Now I'm preparing to meet an onslaught of overly dramatic spurs fans

Weren't two of his three early fouls blatant moving screens? I don't remember what the third was, but it's Kendrick Perkins. He's a warm body and a couple dumb fouls per game. The Spurs love playing against him.

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 5/26/2014 11:10a).]

I must admit I did not see the first quarter. So I can't speak to the Perkins calls

Perkins and Durant picked up 1st Q fouls for elbows during screens. I don't really remember Perkins' other 2 first half fouls. his fouls didn't matter much as Brooks kept him in the game anyway.

The only really questionable call imo on the thunder in the first half was the carrying one on Durant for the second game in a row. They didn't show a replay of either but it's likely he's dribbled the same way for years.

And for the overly dramatic troll attempt, were you paying on texags during Mavs-Heat for Wade's FT parade? I bet we could find some serious dramatization there.

Shaq and Mark Cuban are right, the officiating in the NBA is horrible and has been for years. Has progress been made? Some, but it is still the most poor officiated of the major professional sports, and I don't think it is even close.

With the growing popularity of hockey, I think it is just a matter of time before the NHL passes the NBA in revenue. Likewise, with the growing Hispanic population, at some point professional soccer is going to pass it as well.

Perkins picking up fouls and sitting on the bench actually helps the thunder