Thanks, NBA.
My form of protesting the lameness of the NBA is refusing to do a Wrap-Up tonight.
Question: are there any NBA fans left after this whole debacle? You can feel the air coming out of the big balloon that is professional basketball.
Bruce Bowen has absolutely no shame. With all the drama surrounding dirty play in this series, you would think he might take a day off from his kicking, kneeing, elbowing ways. Nope. I haven't been watching this game as closely as others (mainly because the NBA is siphoning my interest daily), so I probably missed a few Gangsta Bowen moments, but I hope someone YouTube's the play with 45 seconds to go in the third quarter. You see Bowen getting ready to guard Nash and then all of a sudden Kurt Thomas kind of stumbles. My first though was: no way Bowen would do something at midcourt; Thomas must have just tripped. I was wrong. Looking at it again, you can see Bowen kick Thomas right in the shin with his left leg. Classic! What audacity. Everyone is talking about this guy being the dirtiest player in the league and then he tries to give Thomas the Johnny Lawrence "sweep the leg" move right in front of everyone.
Bruce Bowen might not have a soul.
The NBA's resident Michael Schofield doppleganger, Sacha Pavlovic, is looking shorn and active early in tonight's game. His closely-cropped dome was getting a little shaggy in New Jersey, but now the bald gleam is back and so is the juumper. Aleksandar the Great already has a big three and a dramatic chest-beating move to his credit, and we're only three minutes in. Man, I love Pavlovic.
(By the way, the Cavs look eager to close this thing out and get some rest while they await the Pistons.)
[Update: I guess they were only eager for those first three minutes. Also, I forgot that Larry Hughes is on their team. By the way, that flagrant foul that was called on my boy Sasha was an absolute joke. Nobody is having a rougher spring than NBA officials.]
Breaking news, people. Fox has picked up a riveting new pilot for the fall TV season. It is being described as a "hilarious romp" and "truly unbelievable." Fox has plans to put the new show, tentatively titled My Way or the Highway, on after American Idol to give it the best shot at winning the ratings war. The show is shot single camera and follows a professional sports executive on his madcap adventures through the playoffs. This man, named "Stu Jackdaughter" must discipline athletes and serve as the lackey to a tyrannical, micro-managing boss. And if that isn't enough, he has to deal with all of the eye-rolling drama of the typical sitcom family! Not since Everybody Loves Raymond have we seen a character deal with such hilarity! "Stu" has been described in early reviews as a "bit wishy-washy" and a "failed general manager," but on the other hand, critics marvel at his "use of legal jargon" and "strong narration." Could this be the next great TV character? Stay tuned.
The best news of all is that nobody has to wait until September to get a taste of the new show. A few pages of the pilot script have been leaked on the Internet:
INT. LEAGUE OFFICES - MANHATTAN - AFTERNOON
The league commissioner, DANIEL STRICT, sits at his desk, rolling his eyes and looking pedantic. He chuckles and makes scolding, clucking sound with his tongue. There is no one in the room.
A door opens and STU JACKDAUGHTER enters the office, cowering and shaking.
STU (V.O.)
Walking into Strict's office, I could feel my legs about to give way underneath me. He was already rolling his eyes and talking down to me before I even entered the room - like he was practicing. Maybe he just never goes out of character.
STU
Daniel? You wanted to see me?
Strict slams down his hand on the table.
DANIEL
What have I told you, lackey? You can call me Daniel in public, when audio recording devices are around, so as to present an illusion of congeniality. But in the privacy of these offices, you will call me Lord Basketball. Or, if you must, Mr. Strict.
(waving to a dunce's chair)
Now sit down.
Stu scurries over to the chair and sits down, putting on a dunce's cap.
DANIEL
Well, you've done it again, Dunce. You're supposed to be on top of this stuff and now there is a controversy. Why do we even pay you? Now we have this controversy and are headed for another boring Finals. You realize that, don't you?
(sighing)
Well, I don't know what we can possibly do. If it weren't for these ridiculous rules, we might be able to keep Stoudemire and Diaw on the court.
STU (V.O.)
My first thought is, these are your rules, windbag! What are you talking about? However, my second thought is that if I don't agree with Strict, I will be out of a job. And then what will I do? Obviously, I can't run a team. I still have nightmares about being with the Grizzlies. Oh boy.
STU
(to Strict)
Yes, sir. Terrible rule, Lord Basketball. Curse that rule!
Strict shakes his head sadly.
DANIEL
Yes, it is such a shame. But our hands are tied. We must always follow the letter of the law, no matter what. I think someone great once said.
STU (V.O.)
I'm pretty sure it was Hitler who said that. But maybe not.
Strict slams the table again. Then once more, for good measure.
DANIEL
Damn these rules! I wish we could blame Mark Cuban in some way.
Stu chuckles nervously.
DANIEL
Well, lackey, I shall need your official recommendation, so that I might agree or disagree with it. Understand that I won't listen to you. But if I agree with you, then you will have the opportunity to brag that I followed your recommendation. That could be a real career boost for you. People might respect you.
STU (V.O.)
Bastard.
STU
Lord Basketball, my recommendation is that we suspend these players. They broke the law as it is written. They must pay.
STU (V.O.)
Even though I'm still trying to figure out what they did that was so wrong. Or if I could have acted any differently in the same situation. Or if my annoying-yet-sometimes-wise neighbor put any more trash in my recycling bin this morning.
DANIEL
Good, good. Any problems we might encounter?
STU
Well, no one will like the ruling. Especially not the fans.
Strict breaks out into a sinister cackle.
DANIEL
Lackey, you are funny. Since when do I care about fans?
(looking suddenly concerned)
Wait, are these fans you speak of in China or Europe? Are they corporate sponsors?
Stu scowls in confusion.
STU
I don't think so.
DANIEL
Then what is there to worry about?
STU
Good point, Lord Basketball. But there are other concerns.
DANIEL
Go on. But make it short and agreeable with my decision.
STU (V.O.)
Man, I hate this guy. I wonder if Dan Patrick hates him as much as I do. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow.
STU
Well, it might not be a very fair decision. I mean, it was a San Antonio player that initiated everything and neither of these Suns players actually made contact with any Spurs players. They didn't really do anything. It is going to be hard to justify a suspension.
DANIEL
Nonsense. Just use some legal jargon. Say things like "bright line" and "strict liability." People who watch basketball are stupid, just like Amare Stoudemire. They will believe what you tell them. Be confident and condescending and talk in circles and eventually they will believe you.
STU
But there are some tricky things here. It might be hard to call it a bright line rule because of, you know, that other situation.
Strict leans forward in his massive chair, anger glinting in his eyes.
DANIEL
What other situation?
STU (V.O.)
Duncan and Bowen getting off the bench earlier in the game. Steve Kerr pointed it out in his column and the story is picking up steam.
DANIEL
Steve Kerr is a part-owner of the Suns and played college basketball in Arizona. Of course he would say something like that. It is just like him.
STU
Umm. Kerr also won a title with the Spurs, played for Popovich, and was a teammates of many of these players, including Duncan. He is pretty respected and might have a point.
DANIEL
Great. Thanks to tough guy Joey Crawford, I have to be very careful with Tim Duncan. No, no, I can't suspend him. Just make a semantic point why this is different.
STU
I guess I could say that Duncan and Bowen were still in the vicinity of the bench. Either that or that there was no altercation play when Elson and Jones were tangled up.
DANIEL
There you go.
STU
But that might make us look very bad. After all, there was no more of an altercation happening at the moment when Stoudemire and Diaw left the bench either. The situation was pretty similar, Lord Basketball. And the vicinity thing might look bad. If we say that five feet is still in the vicinity but 20 feet is not, aren't we getting away from it being a bright line rule?
DANIEL
Just use the legal jargon, lackey. It will confuse the unwashed masses.
STU (V.O.)
Okay. So he's not the least bit concerned that our bright line rule is only being applied to one case and not the other. Nor is he worried that this supposed bright line rule hinges entirely on out definitions of "vicinity" and "altercation." Oh man, I am going to look so stupid. People are going to hate me. And not just Grizzlies fans with long memories. Oh boy.
DANIEL
Problem?
STU (V.O.)
I need this job. I need this job. I need this job. I need this job ...
Stu grimaces and sits upright.
STU
There is no problem, Lord Basketball. I was just thinking of a comical moment at home with my zany family members, some overcooked meatloaf, and a few pop culture references.
(his face hardening with resolve)
No, no, you are right. We have been subjected to this rigid rule and now must adhere to it to the letter of the law, no matter the inequity it causes or the perverse incentives it creates. I will trick the media, players, and fans alike by using legal jargon, at your suggestion. It won't be easy, but I will do it. I will fall on the sword.
DANIEL
Good, then you won't be fired. Now go suspend these thugs.
Stu lets out a breath and scurries from the office.
Strict leans back in his chair and shakes his head.
DANIEL
It's really too bad we are stuck with this rule ...
(END)
On Friday night, would you have ever guessed that the Jazz would beat the Pistons to a conference final? Utah had just been blown out in Oakland and appeared to be in a dogfight, while Chicago had just wilted on their home floor and trailed the Pistons 3-0. Yet here we are, four nights later and Utah is safely on to the next round while Detroit is facing questions about will and intensity as they were unable to close out the Bulls at home.
Jazz March On
When Utah pulled out that Game Seven against the Rockets, I became convinced that they had something special going. Nothing in the last five games has changed that particular opinion. Tonight there was a key play in the fourth quarter when the Jazz led 80-78 and were fending off the Warriors' last great charge. Utah had failed to capitalize on a series of technical free throws and were showing the first signs of cracking. Boozer was getting wrapped up in the drama, Williams couldn't do much of anything right, and Harpring seemed to be fending off a migraine after Barnes put the hurt on him late in the third. So what happens? The Jazz turn to the suddenly-amazing Derek Fisher for a big three. He launches ... and it clangs off the rim. The crowd goes quiet as Jason Richardson waits alone under the basket for the rebound. Then, miraculously, after bounding eight feet into the air, the ball comes down right through the center of the basket. Game over.
The Jazz are clearly going to be a handful in the next round. I think they actually match up better with the Spurs, because the Warriors style and speed gave them trouble, but Golden State didn't have the experience, mental toughness, or execution to make it pay. Phoenix won't have those problems. Plus, they have Thomas to put on Boozer, Marion or Bell to put on Williams, and Amare ready to present matchup nightmares and with little to worry about on D other than just staying close to Okur. The good news for Utah is that they probably won't play the Suns. And they match up with San Antonio just fine. If you thought Nene made Duncan work in Round One, just wait for this Boozer/Duncan matchup. That should be ridiculous. And Okur is going to destroy Oberto/Elson (by the way, this combo made me realize that the other four San Antonio players must be beyond amazing to carry that kind of slack). Williams and Parker will be a great clash, Kirilenko will present some matchup issues, and the Harpring-Ginobili duel off the bench will be hilarious because of all the hacking. Given Harpring's physical style of play, I expect Manu to shed actual tears and possibly break something trying to take a charge. Plus, who is Bruce Bowen going to guard? I don't know if he can handle Williams, who isn't as good as Nash, but is far more powerful and probably faster as well. Putting Bowen on anyone else seems like a waste. I mean, shutting down Gordan Giricek isn't exactly going to turn the tide.
Anyway. I'm getting ahead of myself, but I think the Jazz are in good shape. No matter who they play they are going to get some rest and have a chance to steal Game One. Then they would have home court advantage, where they are 6-0 in the playoffs. Plus, there is something magic in the air of that arena right now.
(By the way, it was another amazingly close games considering the stats. G-State was outrebounded by 24, committed 12 more fouls, shot 6-for-30 from three, and got an 8-for-33 shooting night from Baron and Jackson. If it wasn't for all their steals and Utah's terrible free throw shooting, this probably would have been ugly. The Warriors can definitely stay in games against all odds though. I guess that bodes well for the future? I have NO idea how they will fare next year.)
Wait, We Are Still Playing Chicago?
Not the finest moment in this Detroit Pistons 2003-2007 run. Obviously Chicago was on fire tonight and showed a lot of heart in winning an elimination game on the road. But I still feel like this one was more about what Detroit didn't do. Sheed couldn't keep his composure. They didn't commit to playing team defense. Rip missed some easy shots. There were a lot of problems. Jason Maxiell was the only guy that really had the eye of the tiger. Everyone else had the anus of the skunk.
Now the Bulls have a chance to be the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit. I'm guessing that won't happen.
(By the way, a big thank you to Scott Skiles for finally giving Ty Thomas some confidence by playing him with a lead. Instead of waiting to use Thomas as punishment for a starter's poor play or as some sort of last ditch effort, he gave him a legit role in the rotation. And it paid big dividends [5 steals in 21 minutes] to the surprise of ... pretty much nobody.)
One thing to come out of my recent referee obsession (one that seems to be shared by many) is the realization that we all seem to agree that all the offensive fouls need to stop. At best, this new trend of "always take the charge" is a byproduct of cheap basketball and at worst, is incredibly dangerous. I watched Corey Brewer nearly break in half during the 2006 NCAA Tourney when he was called for a charge on a play in which a defender watched him leap and then took the opportunity to slide under Brewer. It was legitimately terrifying. And now that kind of play seems to be happening all the time in the NBA. A disturbing trend to be sure.
And this isn't something that just started in the playoffs. Dennis Hans wrote a brilliant piece on this for Hoops Hype back in December. He also makes a good observation on his blog, that Jon Barry has used his turn in the broadcasting booth to make this a worthy "platform" issue.
I never thought I'd say this, but we need Jon Barry right now more than ever.
I'm convinced that we are going to remember the 2007 Playoffs for one thing: the "Amare Rule."
I can't possibly fathom another situation in another sport with such a bizarre rule, with the possible exception of the "forgot to sign your scorecard" disqualification in golf (but even then, there is no "heat of the moment" excuse). A game predicated on speed and emotion and featuring tons of contact ... yet there are rules in place that take none of that into account. At best, this rule requires every NBA player to be either dispassionate or extremely cerebral. At worst, it turns these guys into robots.
There is nothing on the tape that suggests Amare or Diaw were going to wreck shop on Robert Horry. If they wanted to clock somebody, they could have. Nobody stopped them. Maybe they postured a bit, but what else did they do, exactly? Almost all angles show Amare running out to see if Nash is okay, then performing the exaggerated "hold everyone back" move that is so common on benches during the NCAA Tourney (to keep people from flowing out onto the court during celebrations). Diaw didn't do much of anything. It is hard to see how these guys were such menaces that their behavior warranted suspension. When you factor in the league's leniency regarding Bowen's various ninja moves, Stephen Jackson's meltdowns, Baron's recent incident, and so many other behavior issues, it seems downright crazy.
There is no logical or rational reason that this is happening. And for people who are sticking to the "this is the rule" viewpoint, I would like to turn their attention to something called the United State court of appeals. There are such things as bad laws and bad rules. I suppose it would be better to change a bad rule after the season as opposed to in the middle of it, but the NBA is acting as if these rules were handed down to them on stone tablets and they have no choice but to follow them. That is a cop out. These are the NBA's rules! Of course they can change them, or adjust them. The NFL doesn't have a track record for suspending players for entire seasons, but that didn't stop Roger Goodell from giving Pacman the smack down. For that matter, it didn't stop David Stern from hitting Artest with an unprecedented suspension a few years ago. Nothing exists in a vacuum. There is no such thing is a cut and dried rule. I think the NBA is being extremely cowardly in the way they are dealing with this.
And I still haven't even dealt with the completely perverse incentives that this rule creates. The NBA claims to be worried about various slippery slope and inconsistency issues if they don't enforce the (drum roll, please) "letter of the law." But I would argue that they are creating a far more dangerous situation by opening the door to bush league plays designed to "draw" opponents off the bench. If you are the Warriors tonight, why not wait until Boozer is on the bench, send in Azabuke, and knock Deron Williams into the third row? Chances are, you can pull Boozer from the bench and get him suspended. Genius! I know that there is a long-standing tradition in sports where the "second guy" gets busted, but this situation is absurd. Think about it logically: a player from Team A commits a flagrant foul by slamming a player into the scorer's table, then hits another player in the face with an elbow. Team B has one player mix it up with the aggressor (Bell) and a few more mill around on the court and doing a bit of posturing. Team A has their role player suspended for two games. Team B sees an all-league center and backup forward get suspended for a game each. In other words, Team A instigates the situation, commits all the despicable acts, and shows nearly all of the poor sportsmanship (granted, one guy was doing the work), while Team B does virtually nothing wrong, particularly in light of the fact that their best player and leader had just been crushed. And Team A comes away with a massive advantage - one that may very well give them a title. Maybe it is just me, but that fact pattern is a little disturbing. (And not to draw another comparison to the legal system, but this is why they look at the facts when applying them to the law.)
All of that said, how angry should people be? Obviously, Suns fans are going to be irate. As they should be. But what about basketball fans in general? Many prefer Phoenix to San Antonio due to style and "ready for a fresh face" considerations, but this goes way, way beyond the teams involved. This makes the NBA playoffs - already marred by constant officiating issues, in my opinion - feel closer to WWE wrestling than a real professional sports tournament. And this is a massive problem. I don't know if it requires sending letters to the NBA, but this story won't go away. Not for a long time.
I expected this result, but as a basketball fan, I'm legitimately depressed by it.
[Update: Two hours after I posted this, the news came down that Stoudemire and Diaw are indeed suspended for Game Five. I expect outrage, disbelief, the phrase "letter of the law" to appear in approximately 14,000 columns, and for this ridiculous rule to trump anything else that happens in the NBA playoffs. But I stand by the points below ... except, obviously, the one that links to Steve Kerr's column and deals with Duncan and Bowen, as it just became irrelevent.]
This is the kind of random, insane idea that only comes from getting too little sleep ... but what if an Amare suspension might actually be good for the Suns?
Crazy, right? But consider the following (some of these are a stretch, so be prepared):
1. Game Five will be played on emotion, in front of a "surging" (Bill Walton voice, again) home crowd. What could possibly get people more fired up than feeling wronged by a crappy NBA rule? The place would be rocking. I can see Raja Bell having a huge game in this kind of environment, since he seemss to really feed off of crowd energy (for or against). The crowd might be able to lift Barbosa back into form as well.
2. Kurt Thomas has to be on the floor as much as possible for Phoenix to win. I've been saying this since Game One and don't plan on letting up. He knows how to make Duncan work and is doing a great job of it. He is pouring in that 15-foot jumper. He leads, he motivates, he actually acknowledges when he commits a foul. And with no Amare or Diaw, the Suns can just play Thomas based on fatigue and foul trouble, rather than concerning themselves with egos and rotations. It will be just all-Thomas and all-Marion, all the time. (With a little James Jones sprinkled in.)
3. Human nature can be a mighty tough opponent. The Spurs are experienced and have been through countless battles, so I highly doubt they will ever get too high (unless they are hanging out with Ricky Williams) or too low. But when the other team loses a first-team All-NBA player, you can't help but experience a subconscious shift. Any such shift will be offset by the fact that San Antonio is playing on the road and coming off a tough loss, but perhaps what might have been a razor sharp San Antonio tenacity will instead just be their usual focus.
4. In the ongoing "who will get the calls?" subplot (which probably doesn't determine the outcome, but certainly becomes a factor), there was reason to suspect that the Spurs might get a little "make up" action after being on the short end in the fourth quarter of Game Three. Now though, perhaps the officials will feel sorry for the short-handed Suns. I highly doubt that there is a collective memory strong enough to bring forth either of these results, but you never know.
5. It seems there is a chance that if Amare and Diaw are suspended, then Duncan and Bowen must/will be as well. The latter left the bench on that weird Francisco Elson dunk entanglement (where the Flying Dutchman appeared to get undercut purely because he hung on the rim to avoid being undercut - just a really weird play) earlier in the game and would seem to be subject to the same "letter of the law" rules. And as good as Amare as, this would be a win for the Suns.
6. Then, there is the X-Factor that goes to motivation and confidence and all the other mental factors that mold playoff games. It seems that losing Amare could provide Phoenix with a built-in excuse if they lost. I'm not referring to the fans being given license to complain all summer, but rather the Suns playing with a freedom that comes with being an underdog and from being unburdened of expectations. As of this moment, the Suns are expecting to win the title and anything less is a failure and a possible cause for panic in the offseason. But if you take away Stoudemire, suddenly they have more of a "what do we have to lose?" attitude. This could work the other way, of course, and they could lose that bit of confidence that comes from knowing that they WILL win, which is probably what got them over the top in Game Four. But you never know; feeling like their best chance to win it all has been undermined by a dumb league rule might loosen them up. The old "you can't lose something that has already been taken away" viewpoint.
The requests are flowing in and I'm loathe to finish the night with actual work, so I'm going to break out another "Watching the Whistles" edition, despite all promises that I would never do it again. I feel like Rudy Giuliani or Roger Clemens.
But it seems the world needs this. And while this would best be performed by a truly impartial observer, I am once again going to do my best.
I've only got time to do the fourth quarter, but since the calls seemed to be fairly even through three quarters and the Spurs led 80-72 entering the final period, it feels like a good place to pick things up. I promise nothing here, but even worst case scenario, perhaps this will list all the critical calls and help you remember which ones to get upset about. And in fact, if this winds up showing the Suns got more calls, I might be the perfect person for the job, because my trends are already established. I'm warming up to the idea.
Fourth Quarter
Spurs 1st Possession - Amare steals a pass from Tony Parker, intended for Tim Duncan. It looks like Stoudemire might have hit Duncan's head with his posterior, but mainly this was a bad pass by Parker. Really bad, actually. Hey, Tony, feel free to create a passing angle.
Spurs 2nd Possession - This is a tough one. Duncan kind of did a pile driver on a pretty stationary Amare, but then Marion came through after the release and hit him in the face. Duncan then does what looks like the Peanuts "walk of sadness" (used to such great effect during season two of Arrested Development), but in reality is the "walk of great mandible pain." Missed foul on the Suns. Chalk it up on the big board!
Suns 2nd Possession - This is where Amare does his best Air Jordan Logo impersonation, as discussed in the previous post. I think three Spurs players blocked this shot. No foul, good call. (And a great Marv Albert moment: "He was LOOKING ... to stuff.")
Spurs 3rd - Duncan gets hacked and the foul is called. Noteworthy simply because this is the play where Barry threw that over-the-shoulder, no-look pass. That was sweet. Who doesn't love Brent Barry? I miss him playing in Seattle as a faux point guard.
Suns 3rd - Double trouble. Can't blame the Spurs for getting a little heated here. First, Handles Marion gets the ball caught on his hip and clearly travels while trying to throw a pass. Then, Barbosa gets swatted by the Incredibly Rejuvenated Brent Barry and a foul is called. It was a pretty aggressive chop, but replays showed all leather. I can't remember my ground rules, but I think I have to count both of these, since either proper call would have given the ball to S.A. So, missed call and uncalled violation. (The good news for Javy's crew - they got the "shooting foul" part correct, so at least they didn't get the hat trick.)
Spurs 4th - I'm really hunting for fouls, but here, Duncan just goes too quick after receiving the pass and the ball flies out of his hands. Good no-call by the refs.
Suns 4th - Barbosa goes for a leaner and doesn't get the call. Certainly no foul on Finley who stands straight as straight can be (as Bill Walton would say), but Barry definitely gave him a little pelvic thrust action from behind. And yes, I realize how truly awful that sounds. I'm not marking it though, because the missed shot opened up a nasty follow-up dunk for Amare. (Which reminds me.)
Spurs 5th - This is that rough traveling call on Duncan, where he slides his foot. But does he pick up his pivot foot, or merely bring his other foot closer to the hoop? Needless to say, in a league where LeBron bounds down the lane taking three steps, where every three-point shooter is allowed to slide over a few feet to get comfy, and where Tayshaun regularly goes 20 feet without a dribble ... this is not a travel. Missed call. (Note: the Suns haven't even started their run yet - they still trail by eight here, 83-75, as both teams have scored just three points - but they are already +4 on the calls. A stark contrast to Game Two.)
Spurs 7th - This was a terrible call. It is the play where Duncan rolled on the screen (he did push off with two hands), caught the pass, and then extended toward the rim, only to find Raja the Rugrat camped underneath him. This may have been a charge based on the letter of the law, but we need to put a stop to this nonsense. It looks like the NCAA Tournament out there with all of these charging calls. Someone is going to get hurt when a player slides underneath after they are already airborne. And at the very least, it is just lame. Of course, Manu (and Derek Fisher) started this trend. So maybe Duncan should be mad at Ginobili. Still I'm tallying it, even if just out of principle. That is three bad calls already on the Spurs, in just 13 total possessions, which might be some kind of record for a non-Mavericks home game. (By the way, I much prefer the Duncan "you have to be kidding, this rule sucks" smile to the bug-eyed stare in disbelief. I also enjoyed the lone fan trying to strike up the "b.s.!" cheer, but getting no help.)
Suns 7th - I have no idea what happened here, as TNT was more eager to show Duncan putting on his warmup than the actual play. It looked like Bowen got stuck in a Nash/Marion sandwich, but he gets the least benefit of the doubt.
(We pause for Oberto Clumsiness Identification. My word, that guy is ungainly. He certainly hustles though.)
(We also pause to note that Brent Barry's ill-advised dribble-out, turnaround jumper at the 8:07 was one of the worst shots of the entire postseason. Not the right time for a heat-check, Brent.)
Suns 8th - Horry gets all shoulder trying to block Marion from behind, no call. Marion doesn't complain and on this day, that is good enough to anoint him World's Most Noble Man.
Spurs 9th - Tony Parker employs the Texas Three-Step to get to the rim and draw a foul. He literally picked up his dribble and then changed direction three times. There is only one way you can do that. Uncalled violation.
(Watching this with stops and starts and slow-motion, you can really see the difference from shot to shot with Parker. When he hits, the release is pure. When be bricks, he totally pulls the string on the jumper. It is as simple as that. He sometimes looks like a pitcher trying to aim the ball for a strike. Just shoot it, Tony. You are sick. Trust the talent. P.S. He's my favorite Spur. Can you tell?)
Spurs 10th - Rough sequence for Amare. Sometimes it is just dumb luck that gets in your way. First, he gets called for a foul on Duncan when it should have gone to Barbosa for poking TD like six times on the double team (although both fouled). Then, he is a second late helping on Manu and gets a blocking foul. Numbers four and five in a span of two seconds. And ... back to the bench. (Oh, that famous Phoenix bench.)
Suns 10th - Kurt Thomas tries to draw a foul on Duncan with the "pump fake, lean in" maneuver, but he looks horribly awkward in his attempt and the refs don't bite. Then Steve Kerr says, "right idea," which I think is a problem. We don't WANT player leaping into stationary opponents, remember? More like, "wrong idea." And that goes for all of you Pumpers and Jumpers (especially team captain Sam Cassell).
Spurs 11th - Duncan gets #5 on a moving screen. This was bad luck because Bell was in perfect position to sell it and because the Suns get away with these all the time (as was pointed out to me in the comments section of the Game Two try at this), but it was actually a foul.
Spurs 12th - This is when Duncan was really getting crapped on. Here is another travel that is technically correct. I watched it about six times. He establishes his left foot as his pivot foot, pivots around, then does a weird, jump move while faking an overhead pass. Thus, his pivot foot definitely changed. However, this ignores the fact that he was being pushed the whole time by Kurt Thomas. I'm going to let the call stand as good, but again, this is some really bad luck. That is at least two calls on Duncan that were technically accurate, but horribly unlucky. Then again, now he knows what it feels like to be Amare Stoudemire.
Suns 12th - Ginobili gets called for a reach on a slicing Kurt Thomas, and it is a very bad call. It looks like all ball by Manu. But note a few mitigating factors: Ginobili had somehow failed to be called for a foul before this point, which is amazing, and he clearly didn't grow up being taught "you play defense with your feet, not your hands." Which is weird, because he's from a soccer country. I guess the lesson is that when you play with fire, you get burned on occasion. And when you reach and slap as your primary means of playing defense, you sometimes get boned by the officials. That aside, the refs blew this one, making it a whopping four bad calls on San Antonio with 5:32 to go. Somewhere, Carmelo and Iverson are shaking their heads, wondering why they couldn't get some of this.
Suns 13th - The soon-to-be-infamous Barbosa "and one." I know these are tough and we see Wade and Kobe go to the line dozens of times on plays just like it. But you can't do much more than Parker did to avoid the foul. Why punish the defender for trying NOT to foul. I made the same point in Phoenix's favor in Game Two on a few occasions, and I will do so here as well. Please, officials everywhere, do not encourage the players to seek contact like Patriot missiles. (By the way, priceless shot of Duncan on the bench. Vintage victim. Of course, in this case, he had a right to be frustrated. Still, a guy with this many titles and this kind of legacy ... he can't tighten it up? Who is his PR person? Also, we had a "ball never lies" situation here, as Barbosa's free throw spun out.)
Suns 14th - Nash lost the ball here on a Ginobili strip (this time it totally worked, so he's 1-for-2 on clean strips in the quarter) and it looks like he was getting roughed up pretty good by Bowen. The giveaway is Bowen lifting his arms in a gesture of innocence. But I couldn't see it well enough. And Steve Kerr says that he doesn't "think there was [a foul]." So we'll go with that.
Spurs 16th - The rather comical Parker shot that sat on the rim for a few seconds. It looked like he might have got a lucky break getting a foul call here, but the replay showed that Thomas got the back of his head with a forearm.
Spurs 17th - Parker goes over the back on Amare with no call. No harm either, but that was pretty blatant at that stage in the game. Not a smart play, but we'll let it go as it was offset by Nash's ensuing butt bump while pitching a ball out to Bell.
Spurs 18th - Parker tries to draw a foul and doesn't get it. There was no foul on the play as Amare dodged him like he was playing with a hula hoop. But it had to frustrate TP that this was the same play he got dinged for when Barbosa leaned on him. Annoying for the player, but not a bad call, I don't think.
Suns 18th - This might be the toughest play of the entire quarter to call. It is where Nash led the break, handed off to Bell, and then - in effect - took Ginobili out of the play. On one hand, Manu kind of crashed into Nash. But on the other, Little Stevie (another Waltonism) had both elbows up. Very tough call. Probably best to let it slide since both players looked like they were loaded with magnets the way they ran into each other. I think they almost kissed.
Spurs 20th - Here Manu seems to take a little forearm action from Bell on the way down the lane. Hard to say if there was a foul, although Ginobili goes down as if hit with a cannonball. I've been giving this play to Bowen all quarter, so I'm letting Bell slide here. Plus, come on, Manu, get real. I think he's costing himself free throws at this point. (It should be noted that because Ginobili complained about the call in the middle of a fast break, he was late getting back and give up an open Marion dunk. I suspect Pop was displeased by this sequence.)
Spurs 21st - Duncan absorbs some contact, but (finally?) is allowed to do a bit of traveling, so these seem to offset.
Suns 21st - This isn't being tallied, but watch the brilliant Nash behind-the-back pass to Amare (with 53 seconds left) in slow motion. You will see Bowen go with the patented slide step right underneath Nash and then you can see him grab Nash's wrist after the pass. Man is he wiley/sinister/downright evil (you pick). It seemed like Nash was batting at invisible hands all night; this may be why.
Spurs 23rd - I thought Raja Bell played great defense on Manu on the drive with 25 seconds to go. Ginobili just blew the two-footer. Call him Retief Goosen (and hey, he bounced back nicely).
Suns 23rd - This was the Robert Horry fiasco. The refs got all the calls right, it seems, so this isn't the place to discuss this mess.
End of Fourth Quarter -
Tally:
Uncalled S.A. fouls - 1
Uncalled PHX fouls - 1
Bad calls on S.A. - 5
Bad calls on PHX - 0
Uncalled S.A. violations (major ones) - 1
Uncalled PHX violations (major ones) - 1
"Net" advantage on calls - Suns +5
Comments: In real time it definitely seemed that Phoenix was getting the majority of the close and/or dubious calls and no-calls and that bore itself out in the "research." There were a lot of reasons the Suns came back to win (Amare bouncing back, Nash being a straight pimp, and Brent Barry and Michael Finley taking a couple of bad fadeaways), but there is no denying that the calls were a HUGE factor. And beyond the +5 for Phoenix, there were probably a half dozen other calls that were really close and/or not typically called in the fourth quarter of a playoff game (or even during the first quarter of an exhibition game). So the Spurs definitely wore it from the zebras. It felt like an alternate universe, to be honest. And in San Antonio! What a strange night.
... so go the Cavs? Obviously, that statement is lunacy. We all know that Cleveland is only as good as LeBron can coax, lead, prod, and deplore them to be. Heck, they don't even really have a coach. (Well, there's that guy who stands near the bench and purses his lips, but I'm not sure what he does.) But I'm running with this Sasha thing for three reasons:
1. We desperately need something new to talk about on this space other than RefereeGate, which has had the unexpected result of getting both Spurs and Suns fans angry with me. At least, as another writer told me today, that usually means you are on to something.
2. I'm sick of hearing about how "moving Larry Hughes into the starting lineup" is what saved Cleveland's season.
3. With his close-cropped buzz cut, Sasha looks a bit like a Michael Schofield (Prison Break doppelganger. Not a dead ringer, certainly, but close enough that it is fun to say things like, "I have the blueprint on my body" when he goes to the line, or "Sorry about that, Pope!" after he blocks a shot. It adds a lot to a fairly boring series.
Let's start with Hughes. He's clearly a gifted athlete and a hard worker. I know this because he has pretty good stats and even some good games despite the fact that he almost no feel for organized basketball. You have to really watch him play, but if you do, you will see some high comedy. He gets lost on defense very easily, gambles too much (which is bad, since LeBron does this as well), and he might be one of the 10 worst passers in the NBA. I made this comment and then followed it with a Bill Walton-esque "he can't even execute the most SIMPLE of passes" joke to my brother this weekend ... and within five seconds Larry Hughes tried to throw a 20 foot bounce pass, except it went two feet directly into Jason Kidd's hand. Even Kidd looked stunned. Hughes can make a few jumpers and he's pretty good finishing on the break, and his gambles can lead to some steals. But otherwise, he is one of those guys who has WAY better numbers than actual impact on the game.
So how exactly is putting that guy at point guard enough to turn a team's season around? Well, one way is that Larry Hughes is not Eric Snow or Daniel Gibson. Those are the two characters who somehow avoided retirement and/or the D League and then become the not-so-formidable 1-2 point guard punch of a supposed title contender. Predictably there were some rough Cleveland games this year. So playing Hughes in that spot had the natural effect of getting a guy much worse than Larry off the floor.
But the other big byproduct of playing Hughes at point is that it opened up a wing spot for Sasha Pavlovic. And very quietly, the Artist Formerly Known as Aleksandar has become an effective NBA player. He might not be the world's greatest swingman, but he's doing enough to actually help the Cavs, which is a fairly rare trait for a Cavs player not named James.
The day that Hughes and Sasha entered the lineup together, Cleveland went from a 33-25 (.569) team to a 23-8 (.742) squad that is 6-1 in the playoffs and looking somewhere north of decent (albeit, barely). Hughes has certainly helped, as mentioned above. But Pavlovic seems to be the real boon. He scored in double figures in 16 of his last 19 playoff games, added some surprising athleticism on the defensive end, and helped stretch the floor with his team-best 40% three-point shooting. And after a shaky series against Washington, Sasha has really become a critical player in the matchup with New Jersey.
I started watching Pavlovic closely primarily as a joke, saying that the riveting matchup between Sasha and Bostjan (Nachbar) was the key to the series. It isn't, but it has actually been more important than I anticipated. Specifically on the Cleveland side. When Pavlovic has played well, the Cavs have won. When he's played poorly or timidly, they have lost.
Now, understand that this is a tiny sample size. He's played poorly and timidly in only one game in a series that has totaled just three games. So there's not much to go on. Not only that, but Drew Gooden also played better in the wins. So did LeBron, for that matter. And they were at home. And on and on.
But I really do think Pavlovic is a key guy for them. His defense on Vince Carter in Game Two was fantastic. His block of J-Kidd to "save" (exaggeration alert!) Game One was one of the real highlights of the Leastern Conference Playoffs. And he gave them some nice scoring punch with 32 points on 13-of-24 shooting in that game.
So while the phrase "As Sasha goes, so go the Cavs" is obviously only relevant for comedy purposes, I can't help but think that he's a key figure in this series going forward, and in any other that Cleveland might play in. And I'm convinced that his insertion into the lineup, not any transformation in Larry Hughes game, is the reason that lineup move worked back in early March.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go with Sasha Pavlovic put the city of Cleveland on his back.
There was a flurry of activity in the comments after Henry threw up a late update on True Hoop and linked to my theories about the Spurs. Sorry I wasn't around to respond to them, but I was out of town and seperated from my trusty laptop. Just finished watching Game Three of Spurs-Suns, which turned out to be a cruel prank, because after managing to avoid all info about the game until 2:00 (PST) today, I thought I saw a bracket with the words "Suns 2-1" while at the airport. While I was dismayed to learn the outcome, I was happy that the Suns won. (Note: I'm not a Suns fan, but I think a Phoenix title is vital for the future of professional basketball.) It turns out, I need to get my eyes checked. I kept thinking "boy this is going to be an amazing comeback" until suddenly I realized I had read the screen wrong. Whoops. That was quite the kick in the teeth. Then I watched Utah win a stunning Game Four in Oakland. I'm telling you, the Jazz are good and they have some real magic working right now.
I'm glad to be back and on the playoff beat again starting tomorrow.
Okay, the title was just to get your attention. I have proof of nothing and this is not news (and even if it was, it wouldn't be of the "breaking" variety). It is merely the long-promised post where I theorize the "why" part of this whole "The Spurs get all the calls" examination.
The other night I tried my best to objectively watch every single close call in Game Two, to see if San Antonio was really getting the benefit of the whistles. I admit this is conjecture and opinion and everything else you could use to assail the results, but the findings seemed to indicate that the Spurs enjoyed a sizable advantage when it came to the officiating. And this was on a night where the Suns actually got more breaks than a normal S.A. opponent and that featured a fourth quarter blowout that took the refs out of play. Many in the comments section and in emails have surmised that if the Spurs still enjoyed a healthy advantage in that game, it only proves how massive the edge is on a normal night.
That said, the little "study" I performed (and likely will never repeat due to the six hours it took to watch the game) doesn't really prove anything. All it does is reinforce something that many basketball fans already think: that San Antonio gets more calls than anyone. More to the point, that the Spurs are able to get away with more fouls than any other team in the NBA.
The "why" is of far more interest to me, because it seems almost impossible to explain. Why indeed? The Spurs don't have many likable players. There are stars on the roster, but not much star power in the traditional NBA sense. They are in a small market. They were involved in two NBA Finals this decade (2003 against New Jersey and 2005 against Detroit) that basically nobody watched.
If the Spurs are really getting all these calls (or all these no-calls), which it seems they are, then the explanation would have to be something along the lines of a conspiracy theory, right? The NBA has to "want" this. But as I just pointed out, there appears to be no reason at all why the NBA would want the Spurs to advance year after year, and certainly no reason to instruct its officials to make that happen, at the risk of a major scandal.
So if the league isn't mandating it, what other explanation could there be?
Ultimately, I've narrowed down a few possibilities to one thing and it was suggested the other day by my brother, Drew. He opined that the referees simply process San Antonio's actions differently than they do the actions of other teams. In other words, they've seen Bruce Bowen foul so many times, on so many plays, for so many years, that they just view a Bruce Bowen play differently at this point. Bruce Bowen shoving an offensive player or grabbing a guy's leg looks normal after all these years.
In a previous blog - while hinting at conclusion I would reach in this post - I used the phrase "systematic desensitization." I like it because it sounded good, but also because there might be some truth to it.
Think of television shows. When we watch 24 (or, I guess, when we used to watch 24), Jack Bauer can bit a guy's neck or shoot someone in the face or hang a terrorist with a big metal chain and we barely bat an eye. Spartan warriors can slice off the heads of Xerxes' Immortals and we are are impassive. Yet when Bear Grylls kneels down to chew on some raw zebra flesh during an episode of Man v. Wild, it is enough to cause us to recoil in horror. This is a result of desensitization. We see people get killed on TV all the time, but we don't often watch stranded men devouring the flanks of zebras. So the former is just background noise while the latter is jolting. I'm not bringing this up to blame entertainment for all of society's woes, or anything like that, merely pointing out that we can indeed become desensitized to seeing certain things.
And it seems to follow that the same thing could happen to NBA officials. They are used to Vince Carter avoiding contact at all cost, so when he puts his head down in the lane, they are jolted and start thinking "charge" right away. But if LeBron goes crashing into the lane, they probably have to fight off a yawn. You are far more likely to see James get the benefit of a close call when he flies into the paint, and you will probably also see a lot more no-calls in those situations. They are just used to it. But a Vince Carter collision is like a Yeti sighting - so rare that there is no built-in reaction.
For another comparison, take Bruce Bowen and Quentin Ross. Bowen has been mauling offensive players for years, so nothing really jumps out at you. A forearm to the neck, two hands to the ribs, a foot slid under a shooter, two hands wrapped around a rolling screener, a leg whip ... we've seen it all before. But when Ross came into the league doing a lot of the same things, he was getting called for more fouls than anyone. The guy could barely stay on the court. The refs simply weren't used to it. Now Ross has been around for a while and I'm already noticing that he's getting away with more. A lot more. Part of it is no doubt based on "reputation" and I'm sure Ross has learned a few tricks, but the bigger factor seems to be that refs just get used to it and, in a way, become immune to certain conduct.
Which brings this back to the Spurs. Many have commented over the years on the benefit San Antonio enjoys from having Pop on the bench year after year. There is consistency, a sense of structure, and a collective memory in San Antonio that gives them a big advantage over other teams in the NBA. However, the long reign of Pop might have created another substantial, hard-to-prove, and often overlooked advantage: favorable officiating.
It seems entirely possible that the Spurs have worked to get to this point. That is, when Pop took over, I doubt they got the kind of calls and no-calls that they get now. But he insisted on a physical style of play and stuck with it. And over time, the refs became used to that style of play. They know - even if it isn't conscious knowledge - that every Spurs player is going to push and nudge and clutch and do a little flopping. And they've become so used to seeing it, so hardened and immune to it, so desensitized, that they just no longer recognize it for what it is. This is why I call it "systematic desensitization." Because it is a slow process that has taken place over time, possibly by design.
I can almost imagine Pop lording over a San Antonio practices back in the late 90's saying, "Listen, we're going to get called for a lot of fouls right now. But just stick with it, eventually they won't even notice it anymore."
Indeed, Pop's first full season on the bench (1997-98) saw the Spurs get called for 1,731 personal fouls. By the time Bruce Bowen had a "full" (2,000 minuets) season in San Antonio, that number was down to 1672 in 2002-03. This year, San Antonio got called for just 1,588 fouls. This, despite the fact that the league average for personal fouls has remained pretty constant (22.4 per game in 1997-98, 21.8 in 2002-03, and 22.3 this year). These are obviously rudimentary numbers, but they do tell a bit of a story; and one that seems to reinforce the idea that the Spurs have built a system that - over time - has created a certain immunity where personal fouls are concerned.
And that is how we reach the place we are at now. When the Spurs can literally commit dozens of fouls each night without getting the attention of the refs, the pundits, the fans, or even the opposition. Oh sure, many fans - especially opposing fans - get a sense that something is amiss, and there are probably a few players who shake their heads and wonder why it always seems like the Spurs are getting the calls, but for the most part, nobody seems to take mushc notice.
Well, this might be why. We are all just used to it. Immune. Desensitized.
And - Bruce Bowen aside - my conclusion is that this is far from cheating on the part of the Spurs or a conspiracy on the part of the NBA. It is sheer genius by Coach Pop. And you know what? San Antonio probably deserves it. When you find the best coach in the league and then keep him for the next decade, you have a right to enjoy these sorts of advantages. NBA seasons don't exist in a vacuum, but istead, string together over time. And keeping the same coach and players and style of play is bound to produce benefits. This appears to be one of them.
Okay, now I feel better about things.
I don't if it is possible for a team that is 7-0 in the postseason to be flying below the radar, but the Detroit Pistons seem to be doing just that. In fairness, they have beat up on the worst team in the playoffs (Orlando) and a plucky group of youngsters without a single lowpost options (the Bulls), so there is some reason to hold off on throwing a parade at this point.
But how good are these Pistons? Can they win it all? Should the Spurs and Suns fear them? Is this the best they've ever looked defensively?
My friend and longtime Pistons fan Justin Weiner prompted that last question with something he said in a recent email:
[Detroit's] defense might be better now than in 2004 because (1) we have an effective zone because of Flip and (2) Ben Wallace is an overrated (and often just flat bad) on the ball defender. Well, maybe that’s an outlandish claim, but I hope its true at least.
As if Derek Fisher hasn't provided enough inspiration for the Jazz, they might have yet another motivational device to employ before Game Three in Oakland: All-NBA team snubs.
Now, no Jazz player truly got snubbed from the All-NBA teams. The NBA is deep in individual talent right now, especially at the forward position. But the best players use everything to get fired up. And it isn't hard to imagine Carlos Boozer taking a long look at these teams and using his omission as fuel.
The Booze was 10th in the league in PER (the only guy in the top 13 that played in over 60 games and averaged at least 30 minutes that didn't make the team), 4th in rebounding, 6th in field goal percentage, and joined Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Zach Randolph as the only 20/10 guys in the NBA this year. Plus, Utah was the only 50-win team in the NBA that failed to place a guy on one of the three teams. Hard to keep a player like Boozer out of that mix.
And let's not forget about Deron Williams, as everyone seemed to do during the Most Improved voting. He was second in the league in assists at 9.3 per game and the rest of his numbers were right there with Billups. Of course, Kidd didn't make the team either, so maybe Williams can take solace in that.
I'm sure the announcement of the All-NBA teams was the last thing Golden State wanted to see.
This will be probably be the last wrap-up until Sunday night, as I'm out of town and will be detached from my beloved laptop for a few days. It's all good though, because according to Ray Kurzweil, we are all going to have nano robots in our brains and be half-laptop/half-human by about 2029 anyway. I knew there was reason to fear I Robot.
Bulls Appear to be Interested Only in Proving Me Right
It is hard for me to go anywhere with this recap other than straight to the Pau Gasol Saga. I wrote about this during Game One of the Miami series and will continue to beat this drum until I feel I have sufficiently exhausted the topic. Which will probably never happen. So file this as "Bulls/Gasol Post #2 (of 14,000)."
Here is the argument, once again:
The Bulls had Pau Gasol in their sights at this year's trade deadline and couldn't pull the trigger. The primary reason given was that Paxson was unwilling to part with Luol Deng and/or Ben Gordon. Some reports said that Gordon was the centerpiece of the final Memphis request (along with with Knicks' first round pick in the 07 draft and Ty Thomas), while others say that the asking price was always Deng. The secondary reason given was that Gasol wasn't a big enough star. I can't find the link, but at one point there was logic along the lines of "he's a 20 and 9 guy, not a 22 and 10 guy."
Both reasons were poor ones. Sure, West was demanding a lot, but Chicago has depth at small forward (Nocioni and Sefalosha would make a very nice tandem going forward) and a ton of young assets. Plus, they traded away Tyson Chandler just to get P.J. Brown's expiring contract for the very purposes of making this sort of deal.
And as for Gasol and their evaluation of his abilities, I think they were way, way off. Time will tell, but I expect Pau Gasol to emerge as one of the dominant big men in the NBA in the next 2-3 years. His Carlos Boozer year is coming very soon. Gasol has all the traditional skills on the block, coupled with the fluidity and ability to run the floor that is required in today's game. He can score in the post, face up against defenders, pass, draw double teams, get to the line, block shots, you name it. I know that he's never won a playoff game and that he has had a few injury issues, but to me, there are two seminal Gasol moments that trump those concerns.
First, there was a massive dunk during the 2005 playoffs against Phoenix. It came during the middle of the second quarter during Game One, at a time in which the Grizzlies were playing amazing basketball, yet still trailed their superior opponent by about six points. I will never forget the play. He'd been working hard on defense, running the floor, scoring in the post, and watching his teammates turn it over time and time again and everyone watching the game could tell that Phoenix was about to blow Memphis away. But rather than give up, Gasol fought for position, wheeled into the lane, and threw down with two hands over both Amare and Marion. It was one of the most determined and powerful finishes I've seen in an NBA game and I remember thinking, "Holy crap, nobody could stop that." (I think he had 28 and 16 in that game.) The other indelible image was watching him destroy a very good field in the World Basketball Championships in 2006. Obviously, guys like Calderon and Garbajosa and even Rudy Fernandez all played really well for Spain, but Gasol was clearly The Guy. Even though he missed the championship game, he was still the MVP of the WBC. To me, that counts for something. I think the Bulls - and a lot of other people - have severely underestimated him and the power of his magical beard.
So why I'm I dragging all of this up again?
Well, during tonight's meltdown in Chicago, the Pistons went on a 12-0 run midway through the third quarter, shaving a 17-point Bulls lead down to five. Now, swings of this nature are common in the NBA, the league where everyone makes a run. But they don't happen like this one did. Check out some of these numbers:
- The 12-0 run took place over nearly five minutes of game action and 28 minutes of real time (I miss those TNT trackers and the accompanying excessive Doug Collins analysis).
- During that period of time, the Bulls took two timeouts and got another TV timeout at the "under six minutes" mark.
- In all that time, the Bulls got up just three shots. Three!
- Only one of those shots hit the rim.
To recap: as the Pistons were going on a 12-0 run on Chicago's home floor, the Bulls managed to hit the rim just one time in almost five minutes of play. Frankly, I still can't believe it happened.
And while the Detroit defense obviously deserves some credit, there is one reason this happened to the Bulls: they don't have any lowpost scoring whatsoever.
During that Game One against Miami, when everyone was going crazy over Deng and Gordon and the scrappy young Bulls, I came away disturbed that Chicago nearly let a 12-point lead slip away while Shaq and Wade were on the bench (Miami closed it to two). Without a post player to draw fouls and get easy baskets, Chicago simply has no way to weather storms. They can't pound their way out of dry spells or quiet a crowd on the road by getting to the line or even put any pressure on a juiced up defense. When the shots stop falling and the other team gets fired up, the Bulls have nothing to turn to.
This is why Gasol would have been so much more valuable than his 20 and 10. He would even be more valuable than his 7th-rated PER. There is just no way to put a price tag on having one quality lowpost option rather than zero halfway decent post options (could Thabo Sefalosha be Chicag's best low post scorer? Don't laugh).
Oh, and also, Gasol's only 27 years old, so it isn't as if the Bulls would have had to mortgage their future to bring him into the fold. You know, the way they did when they basically swapped Tyson Chandler for Ben Wallace.
Is it any wonder the Bulls scored just 30 points in the second half of a home playoff game?
Jermaine O'Neal, I hope you like the color red, because I have a feeling this little mistake is going to be rectified rather quickly over the summer.
Oh, Amare, what have you done.
I started trolling around on the World Wide Web to give myself a break from this Eastern Conference snoozer (the Pistons couldn't be less interested in winning Game Three) and discovered that a pretty major story occured.
[Update: Luckily, I had paused this on my TiVo - in my continued effort to see every minute of televised playoff action - so I saw Detroit come back to win this game. I still don't know that they were all that intent on stealing Game Three, nor did this elevate much beyond the level of "snoozer," but I felt I had to update what turned out to be a poor choice for a lead-in. You can see more on this in the comments section.)
Amare Stoudemire just called out Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, and the entire Spurs team for being "dirty."
This came about because of this play, where Bowen did his best Jet Li impersonation on Stoudemire's Achilles tendon during Game Two on Tuesday night. Scroll down and you will see that I detailed virtually every close call of that entire game and even though I was watching frames in slow-motion, I still didn't see this happen in real time. However, I did see Bowen commit about 15 other dirty plays and shady fouls that went unnoticed on first viewing. So this doesn't surprise me at all.
(By the way, credit Henry Abbott of True Hoop for being the first one to cover Bowen's most recent ninja display.)
In fact, I think you could make a fairly easy case that Bowen is indeed a dirty player. And if not dirty, than at the very least a guy who fouls more than virtually anyone else in the NBA. Watch any Spurs game for ample evidence. Or just listen to players in the league, guys like Ray Allen who don't like to see their careers and large paychecks in jeopardy because Bowen happens to favor the old "undercut and make you land on my foot" move. (And if you complain about that, he might respond with the old "kick you in the back while you are on the ground" special.) However you slice it, Bowen isn't a real joy to play against. He's like the pitcher who head hunts or the lineman that cut blocks ... shady plays that are possibly allowed within the framework of the game, but tend to cause terrible injuries and are just not real respected by your athletic brethren.
And you could probably make a case that Ginobili likes to get his nut shots in as well (ala John Stockton). And that Horry likes to get into your ribs a little bit and to rack up those "goaltending" calls that are really thinly-disguised delay of game violations (when he knocks the ball out from underneath the basket). And that the Spurs, in general, get away with a whole heck of a lot. In fact, I'm willing to go so far as to say that they have been intentionally fouling for years in an effort to systematically desensitize NBA refs to their physical play and thereby gain a massive advantage. And it is working. It is the phenomenon we all see but can't quite figure out - that San Antonio, despite being fairly unlikeable, boring, and from a small market, gets all the calls. I mean, why would the NBA want that? And if the NBA doesn't want the refs to favor San Antonio, why does it happen about 95% of the time? What on earth is going on here? More on this is coming later tonight, but the sneak peak is that I think systematic desensitization is the answer. (And even if it's not, the phrase "systematic desensitization" sounds pretty good.)
BUT. All of that said, Amare just made a huge mistake (best said in the Gob from Arrested Development voice). What good can possibly come out of these statements? It is not as if the league is going to suspend Bowen. The refs aren't going to suddenly reverse nearly decade-long trends of allowing him to play this way. All this is going to do is distract Phoenix and light a fire under the Spurs.
San Antonio already has home court advantage, the mental edge of being the next team to dictate the action through an adjustment, and having a really good, experienced team. Now they have bulletin board material to go along with all of that.
Any chance the Suns had of catching the Spurs feeling good about getting a split, or letting up for a second ... that just went out the window.
I don't blame Amare for being upset and for being especially sensitive about players going for his legs. He is, after all, coming off of the scariest knee surgery in basketball. That said, he just made a major blunder.
Forgive me for jumping ahead a little here (I've never been great at living in the moment), but Kirilenko's amazing turnaround could mean a whole lot more for the Jazz than an extended playoff run.
Certainly AK-47's great play is most noteworthy because of the way it impacts the here and now. If he hadn't turned things around, the Jazz wouldn't even be in the second round, let alone be up 2-0 on the Warriors and suddenly looking like a legit title contender. His shot blocking, energy, and passing are the glue to this Utah team right now.
However, there is always a bigger picture. And while the Jazz seem like they could matchup pretty well with the Spurs and are playing with a touch of magic right now, the odds are they will not be the team holding the trophy at the end of this long playoff journey. For starters, they aren't the best team, and second, the simple fact that they are one of eight remaining squads (we are still counting the Bulls, right?) makes an NBA title a very remote possibility.
All of which means they will head into the offseason looking to make some tweaks and find a way to get over the next hurdle. This is life in pro sports, where adjustments are the name of the game and what you do in the offseason is just as important as what you do during the season. And Utah GM Kevin O'Connor (not to be confused with Kevin Connolly, who plays "E" on Entourage) has been a front office beast the last few years. Stealing Boozer from Cleveland was arguably the heist of the decade. Signing Okur has proved to be a stroke of genius. Trading up to get Deron Williams (who would have thought that passing on Paul for The Kingpin - again, credit the blog Retire Sloan for that nickname - would be the right move?) and nabbing proven workhorse Paul Millsap in the second round were draft coups. Bringing in Derek Fisher for leadership and toughness was brilliant. The guy has been on fire.
Not only that, but now O'Connor is heading into summer that is short on free agent firepower and long on teams needing to make moves, and he is sitting on a fantastic trade piece in Kirilenko.
Many NBA Insiders have speculated all year that Kirilenko could be jettisoned in the offseason, because he's a max dollars type of guy (just over $12 million per) playing out of position. With Boozer entrenched at power forward and Okur at center (which prevents Boozer from sliding over), Kirilenko is forced to masquerade as a small forward for pretty much the entire game. This despite the fact that he can't shoot, can't use his quickness to exploit mismatches, and gets pulled away from the basket and sees his prodigious shot-blocking skills mitigated. He has no business playing small forward and because of that fact, many figured that Utah would try to move him. The problem is that his value was sinking lower and lower with each passing day. He has always been injury prone, but on top of that he had a terrible regular season (ask any fantasy basketball junkie). Then, things really started caving in. During the first two games of the Houston series, he looked as bad as any player in the NBA and O'Connor had to be stressing out. In fact, there was probably a "crap, now we have to keep him" moment at some point during those incredibly long four days in H-Town.
Then, AK-47 shed a few tears, laid his soul bare, stood up to the challenge, and turned the whole thing around. It was like when Superman got his powers back in Superman II and crushed Zod's hand (maybe my favorite movie moment of all time). The transformation has been stunning. Now Kirilenko is flying all over the court, sending back shots from impossible angles, hitting big jumpers, and even handling point guard duties in a pinch.
This reinvigorated Kirilenko is doing all this on the biggest stage, during the biggest moments, and he's doing it at a time when the NBA is becoming more matchup driven and predicated on speed than ever before. For that reason, there have to be countless teams salivating at the prospect of entering the 2008 postseason with this guy as their power forward. Plus, Kirilenko's fat contract is probably a good thing, as it will open up a lot more trade possibilities in a league that finds most of its teams over the salary cap and severely restricted in the trades they can make.
AK-47 just transformed himself from Utah's biggest postseason disaster into one of the best bargaining chips in the entire league. In two weeks! Now Utah can dangle him to go get the perimeter athlete and scorer they so desperately need (off the top of my head I'm thinking Rashard Lewis - in a sign-and-trade - or Ray Allen from Seattle, Maggette plus a contract from the Clippers, or, as a long shot, perhaps Odom from the Lakers). The Jazz can put a playmaking weapon on the wing next to a dominant low post scorer (Boozer), floor-stretching center (Okur), and stud point guard (Williams). And with Millsap's defense, Brewer's athleticism, and Harpring's scoring, they can gobble up all of Kirlinko's minutes with the guys they have now. Add a shot blocking backup big man (Sean Williams, Dominic McGuire, Herbert Hill, Stephane Lasme, and Darryl Watkins would all work) in a deep draft and suddenly the Jazz have one of the top three or four teams in the league. Seriously.
Kevin O'Connor is smiling tonight and it isn't just because the Jazz are winning thrilling playoff games.
Another wild night of playoff basketball.
Is Utah the Team of Destiny?
I'm starting to think Utah has some magic aura this year. They are winning games that just boggle the mind. Here are ten thoughts on Derek Fisher Night:
1. Obviously this will be remembered as Fisher's night and that works for me, because of the way he handled and overcame an awful family tragedy, and then made all of the clutch plays down the stretch. It was like a bad sports movie ... but in a good way.
2. Not to throw cold water on everyone here, but I think we saw one of the worst no-calls in recent playoff history. Very few people will mention this because it involved Fisher (I feel like a real bastard right now), but I don't understand how there can be no foul call on the play with 25 seconds left, when Baron got called for stepping out of bounds. Fisher gambled on a steal and absolutely crushed Davis. He knocked him 10 feet backwards, forced him to scramble (because of the eight-second rule), and caused that out of bounds call. You just can't let that kind of foul go. It totally undermines the game, which reminds me ...
3. This was a great game, but for me it was tainted a little bit. I know that sounds crazy, but I just don't like watching rugby. These teams shot 70 combined free throws and probably should have shot 170. And it is because across the board, the officials are calling the game differently. So much physical contact how been allowed the first three weeks of the playoffs - especially for "physical" or "tough" or "defensive-minded" teams like San Antonio, Utah, Detroit, and Cleveland - that we are literally seeing a different sport than the one I watched for 82 games during the regular season. So much for all the rule changes and the "don't breathe on D Wade" culture of last year's Finals. Basketball is back to being a collision sport again and it is starting to drive me crazy. More than anything, I would like to know why. Changing the rules from the regular season to the postseason doesn't make any sense. That said ...
4. The officiating didn't decide the game. The Baron call was awful and the way the games are being called is disturbing, but GSW lost because they shanked free throws down the stretch. They got five multiple shot trips (11 total attempts) late in the fourth quarter and the amazing thing is that No Elbow Biedrins is the only Warrior to make both his freebies. J-Rich went 2-for-5, Pietrus bricked a pair, and Baron split his at the end. 5-for-11 isn't going to get it done.
5. I mentioned this in the comments section of a previous post, but Utah is starting to look like they can win it all. They can beat anyone in the East (strangely, the Cavs might be tougher for them than the Pistons) and they might be the only team outside of the state of Arizona that could beat San Antonio. They were 2-0 at home against the Spurs this year, are now 5-0 at home in the playoffs, and have the depth, versatility, and Next Gen Duncan/Parker (Boozer and Deron "The Kingpin" Williams). Plus, they now have the Hollywood storylines going. I know that people won't believe me, but I almost picked them to win it all. I've thought they were better than anyone else would give them credit for all year, dating back to the "sports bar preview" that Jack and I threw together to start the season. I went back and forth on that Houston-Utah series for about 20 minutes, knowing that I would take the winner all the way (because I liked the winner's chances against "Dallas" and refused to pick my nemesis Spurs or an Eastern Conference team). I ultimately chose the Rockets, but it wasn't easy.
6. Baron's rough finish overshadowed yet another amazing performance. He is banged up and being swarmed by the defense, yet still went for 36 and 7 with 4 steals on 13-for-22 shooting. Ridiculous.
7. Hopefully Dee Brown is okay. An injury like that is always really scary. Plus, he really stepped up when given a chance and doesn't deserve this terrible luck.
8. I find it amazing that Golden State could play so poorly (outrebounded by 28, missed 25 threes, shot just 42%, missed 11 free throws, and got doubled up in the assists category) and still have the game in hand with under a minute to go. Barnes went 3-for-12 and Jackson 4-of-18 ... and they still should have won! Maybe I shouldn't start talking about Utah in the Western Conference Finals just yet.
8b. Speaking of Barnes, he finally had a bad game but still found redemption when he hit that UBC (ugly but clutch) pull-up jumper late in the fourth. I know he's getting lumped in with past free agent late (and brief) bloomers like Jerome James and Bonzi Wells, but I think Barnes' great play is more about heart, fit, and the evolution of the game. He probably does deserve someone's midlevel. That said, he should do whatever he can to stay with Nellie in Oakland.
9. For my most competitive fantasy hoops league (a keeper league run by my buddy Josh Stump) - should I hang on to Luol Deng or Mehmet Okur? I traded an injured Joe Johnson (keeper eligible) to make a run at a title (that was ruined when my squad was the first victim of the suddenly healthy and dominate Richardson/Baron combo), which left me with Redd and a Player To Be Named Later. I have C Okur, F Deng, and we'll throw in G Kevin Martin. Any thoughts? I'm open to suggestions.
10. How weird is this: Okur having his foot on the line might have saved Utah's season. If that shot is a three, the game is tied 112-112 and the Warriors have 9 seconds to take the final shot. It is hard to imagine that the Jazz could have stopped Baron with that much time. If he scores or draws a foul, G-State wins and takes a split back to Oakland and probably wins the series. Kind of amazing.
I spent so much time analyzing every close whistle in the Suns-Spurs game that it got late real quick, so despite there being so much to say, this is going to be brief.
Suns Even Things Up
The Spurs want to turn Nash into a scorer and close out on the three point line. They continued to do the latter (the Suns made just 4 threes), but couldn't accomplish the former. Tonight Nash was ridiculous, going for 20 and 16 and controlling the game. Even more important for Phoenix is that they (mostly) followed my blueprint by playing Kurt Thomas and covering Duncan with just one guy. I was a little off on using Bell to guard Parker, because Marion did the job (and Bell continues to stymie Ginobili), but otherwise feel pretty good. Here is what I wrote about Thomas:
Not only is Thomas Phoenix's best defender against Duncan (by a mile), he is also a much better finisher than Diaw. Wait, Thomas a finisher? Yes, because finishing a play doesn't just happen at the rim. And the KT speciality is the 15-foot set shot that looks like it is right out of Hoosiers. But that shot is wide open against San Antonio (because they run out so hard at the three-point line) and when Diaw catches there, he just does some stupid spin dribble or makes an extra pass that allows the Spurs' to set up again. Playing Thomas 25-30 minutes will make Phoenix instantly better.
[Update: For those just now coming over here from some of the links out on the World Wide Web, please feel free to check out this more recent post, which offers some (perhaps surprising conclusions) about what might be going on.]
Tonight you all get a special treat. I am always stating both here on the blog and in conversations with friends that the Spurs enjoy an overwhelming advantage in almost every contest when it comes to the officiating. But this is hard to prove. So tonight I decided to watch every single play multiple times and then to watch the close calls in slow motion, in an attempt to ascertain what is really going on. I'm looking for fouls that don't get called, bad calls, and violations that don't get called. And for an added bonus, I am keeping track of "baby" points, which go to overt (and hilarious) complainers and people taking ridiculous flops.
Let's rock.
First Quarter
1st Suns possession - Bowen fouled Nash three times: a block, a push, and a reach. We'll just count it as one uncalled foul.
1st Spurs possession - Thomas gets called for a reach on Duncan, but replays reveal that it was a clean strip.
2nd Suns - Nash makes a nice up fake and gets Bowen to leave his feet and clearly commit a foul, Bowen then complains as if charged with manslaughter.
7th Suns - Duncan and Elson both hammer Amare on a dunk attempt and there is no call; Stoudemire does get a rebound and a call on the follow. I'm still scoring this as a bad no-call, because if Amare doesn't get that rebound, the Suns get screwed badly.
9th Spurs - Duncan takes tough fadeway and it looks like Thomas may have touched his shooting elbow. I'll give Duncan the benefit of the doubt and score this as a bad no-call.
11th Suns - Raja Bell bites it on a rebound attempt. Slow motion reveals he just fell down and that there was no Bowen foul (again, looking at all suspect plays in slow-mo on the TiVo).
12th Suns - Nash circles under the hoop and gets ridden to the ground by Bowen. No call, although it was not that egregious, probably a 50/50 call. I won't tally this one.
15th Spurs - Bell closes out on a Parker jumper, touches Parker on the hip with a fingertip and us called for foul. Maybe the most amazing foul I've seen in the second round. Well, after the call on Pavlovic in the Cavs-Nets game earlier tonight.
15th Spurs (part B) - After an offensive rebound on a Parker missed free throw, Duncan goes into the post, takes three steps (seriously, count them), throws his arms into Stoudemire, and gets the whistle. Amare is straight as an arrow. I honestly don't know what else a defensive player is supposed to do. This is what you would teach a big man at a clinic. In short, Amare gets boned again. Somehow, Steve Kerr doesn't bat an eye (saying only, "the crowd doesn't like it"). I'm telling you, we are all brainwashed. This is the reason I am performing this service tonight.
16th Suns - Classic San Antonio. Horry grabs Diaw, gets called for the obvious foul, turns to the blocked out official and pleads for a Diaw hooking foul. When he realizes the other ref had an easy view of it, he flashes a sheepish grin and raises his hand.
17th Spurs - Duncan, as the trailer, catches the ball at the top of the key, takes a step, and then drags his pivot foot. Obvious travel. No call. Of course, traveling calls are rare in general, so I'll let this one slide.
18th Suns - Barbosa misses a jumper and Diaw appears poised to grab the rebound, but Horry pushes him to the ground. Granted, Diaw acted a bit and the push didn't appear to be that hard, but it was much more blatant than the Bell touch foul on Parker. The crowd goes bonkers. An overreaction on that specific play (encouraged by Diaw's dive), but somewhat understandable given the one-sided nature of the calls.
19th Suns - Amare gets nice position, Nash throws a bounce pass and Duncan reaches around for an easy foul call. He immediately spins around, points at himself, and gives the ref his classic, "Who me? I'm Tim Duncan, you can't possibly be calling a foul on me" face. You stay classy, San Antonio. (I should mention that he then raises his hand like the league's best citizen that he is. Now if he would do that before complaining, I might be impressed.)
21st Spurs - Manu and Duncan run a pick and roll and Bell winds up on the ground with the crowd going crazy. In real time it seems like a classic Raja flop. However, in slow motion, you can see Duncan set the screen, put both hands into Bell's chest, and shove him to the ground. Not only a foul, but a legitimately dirty play. I should mention there was no call. Then, in an effort to waste the good will he has just earned, Bell tries to leg whip Duncan from the ground and trips him up. In fairness to the refs, they don't call this either. Two shady plays, two very obvious fouls, no calls. So this one is a draw.
23rd Suns - Ginobili, trying to draw an offensive foul on a pedestrian Diaw screen (a real 2005 Manu play when he became an uber villain; he's actually reduced that stuff quite a bit, to his credit), accidentally mows over Bell. When called for a foul, he is stunned. This is high comedy.
23rd Spurs - Ginobili puts the struggling Boris Diaw on skates and scores on one of those "off the wrong leg" numbers. I reviewed it because it looked like it might have been a travel, but other than a possible carry (which I would never call, personally, or else I would have to call that on every play of the game), he took the two steps all NBA players get. It just looked like a travel because of the wrong foot thing. So this one was all good.
End of First Quarter - Spurs 25 Suns 19.
Tally:
Uncalled S.A. fouls - 4
Uncalled PHX fouls - 2
Bad calls on S.A. - 0
Bad calls on PHX - 3
"Net" advantage on calls - Spurs +7
Pathetic complaints - S.A. 3, Suns 0
Pathetic flops - Suns 2
"Net" baby factor - Spurs +1
Comments: Easy to see why Suns fans are ready to riot heading into the second quarter. Nothing terribly blatant, but in classic Spurs fashion they have pushed and grabbed and baited their way into a +7 advantage on calls. I'm being as generous toward San Antonio as I can and there is still no other way to score it. And this is a Phoenix home game! The net effect of this is a six-point lead for the Spurs. Also, despite Raja's (not the one where he fell, but the time he tried to sell the push) and Diaw's flops, the Spurs still are bigger babies, because of three hilarious whining displays on blatant calls. These were the kind of "are you kidding me right now?" knee-jerk reactions that make you wonder if they actually practice complaining.
Second Quarter (will reset possession count)
2nd Spurs - Oberto appears to catch Diaw with an elbow, but the slow-mo reveals that Diaw rode him with the hips first. So good call (the refs called the foul on Diaw). Now if only that play was also illegal for Bruce Bowen. Diaw gets dinged in my tally for complaining on this one.
4th Spurs - Oberto goes baseline and is stripped by Diaw. Very hard to see without a different angle, but the slow-mo seems to show Diaw hitting Oberto's wrist. This is probably a 50/50, but in the interest of fighting against my natural bias in this "study," I am chalking this up as a bad no-call in favor of Phoenix.
5th Spurs - Oberto "back taps" an offensive rebound while holding onto Diaw's left arm like a life preserver. I'm calling it a draw though because Diaw was performing some strange face guarding block out technique and was doing a little pushing himself.
5th Suns - Bell is called for a kicked ball, which I didn't even know could be called against an offensive player. He was just trying to pick it up and happened to bobble it into his own feet. Danny Crawford missed this one horribly. It's not part of the systematic officiating advantage that the Spurs usually get (the little shoves and hacks) and that the first quarter bore out, but was still a terrible call. This is more of the "garden variety" crappy NBA officiating.
6th Spurs - This is where you would expect the proverbial makeup call after the Danny Crawford botch job, but instead, they look the other way as Oberto clubs Diaw over the head on a rebound. I don't think much of Diaw, but his only crime here was getting in the way of Oberto's flailing fists.
6th Suns - At first I thought this was the makeup call, as Raja gets an "and one" that didn't look like much in real time. But the slow-mo shows Oberto throwing a forearm shiver into his ribs. If nothing else, this exercise is revealing Oberto to be a pretty despicable fellow.
7th Suns - During a fast break Oberto plants another elbow in Diaw's ribs. If this clown stays in the game it will A) skew the numbers and B) wear me out. This is already four times as long as I anticipated. But it seems there are a lot of close calls in an NBA game, all needing careful analysis if I'm going to come up with anything worthwhile. Still, I'm not counting this one because it was kind of a non-factor.
8th Spurs - This one was close but it appears Diaw hit Ginobili on the arm while trapping a pick-and-roll. Suns get a break here.
10th Spurs - Oberto shoves Marion in the back before receiving the pass, then when he catches and gets the Matrix in the air on a pump fake, gets to the line. Further review shows that Marion got pretty much all ball. You can't block a shot much better.
(Note: unless it really matters, I'm going to stop charting off-the-ball fouls that don't impact the action. Otherwise, Oberto and Bowen are going to screw this whole thing up.)
11th Spurs - Bowen catches a pass and then jumps sideways to shoot a three. Obviously, you can't make a jump stop and then jump with both feet; that is a travel. But AI has been doing this (although his is more of a slide) for years, so we won't harp on it. No harm.
15th Spurs - Amare slaps Horry in the face, but no call. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Horry decides to milk it instead of picking up the ball, so it leads to a fast break layup. The Suns get a favorable call, but give Horry a "baby" point.
22nd Spurs - After a prolonged clean stretch (there was one scramble play that just looked like good hustle by both teams), Parker draws a dubious foul by face planting. After repeat viewings, it is clear that no one in white touched him. This is only made worse by the fact that he took a step, then a jump stop, then another step (a crossover), than picked up his pivot foot. I'm not sure, but I think that is like three traveling violations on one play. Suns get screwed twice on one play, but we'll just count it as one. (The funny thing about Parker's travel is that Marv Albert then exclaimed, "Somehow he found the space!" Yeah, somehow.)
24th Suns - I'm not counting any of these, because of my vow to ignore off-the-ball fouls that don't directly impact the play, but I have to just shake my head in amazement (admiration?) at the stuff that Bowen gets away with. On this play (which ended in a Nash layup), he threw a forearm in Marion's face at one end of the court (as the ball was being inbounded) and then grabbed Kurt Thomas with both arms (to keep him from rolling after a screen) at the other. Some guys would get called for intentional fouls for this stuff.
26th Suns - Unbelievable play. Ginobili tries to flop, doesn't get the call, then wraps his arms and legs around Stoudemire's left leg to keep him from rolling and catching a pass. The ball goes skipping out of bounds and Amare stares at the ref in disbelief as he points down at Ginobili, who is doing his best koala bear impersonation. No call. This is RIGHT in front of Danny Crawford. Even Steve Kerr noted that this was a foul. Danny Crawford is having a rough game.
27th Spurs - Duncan mows over Nash and Pop goes crazy and gets a tech. No one is sure what Pop is upset about, but he definitely gets a "baby" point. Not as pathetic as D'Antoni's outburst in Game One, but still weird and unjustified.
End of Second Quarter - 49-42, Suns (30-17 Suns in quarter).
Tally:
Uncalled S.A. fouls - 2
Uncalled PHX fouls - 3
Bad calls on S.A. - 0
Bad calls on PHX - 3
"Net" advantage on calls - Spurs +2
Pathetic complaints - S.A. 1, Suns 2
Pathetic flops - S.A. 1
"Net" baby factor - Even
Comments: The Spurs only had a +2 call advantage in this quarter and the Suns took advantage with a 30-17 second period.
Third Quarter
Spurs 2nd - Bowen came close to traveling, but kept his pivot foot down. Nothing but a crowd overreaction here.
Suns 2nd - Michael Finley gets called for a phantom foul on a Raja Bell drive. Bell's second free throw goes in and out in classic "ball never lies" fashion.
Spurs 6th - Bell gets called for a very tough blocking foul. Parker basically put his head down and ran him over. Even if Bell wasn't completely "set" or was "still moving," isn't an offensive foul ultimately a player control foul? That said, I'm not scoring this is a bad call, because there are too many charging fouls in general and I refuse to support the constant flopping going on. I don't think Bell flopped here, but he's done it enough that he loses the benefit of the doubt.
Suns 6th - Amare wants a foul call, but Duncan appears to have a clean block. Right before this Bowen accidentally knocked Nash down, which is fine, but then when Nash got back up, he grabbed him around the waist with both hands, which is not fine. I'm not scoring it, but I implore all basketball fans to watch a full game and monitor Bowen's every move. Then tell me that he didn't commit somewhere between 25 and 100 fouls.
Suns 7th - Amare has a monster dunk down the lane. It is funny, because Duncan hit him right on the arm on this one, yet Stoudemire doesn't seem to mind when he still scores. Hey, if he doesn't mind, I don't either. Duncan is off the hook on that one.
Spurs 9th - Thomas does a flawless job on Duncan, only to get a bad break when a loose ball turns into a foul. Good call though.
Spurs 16th - Amare gets away with a hold on Duncan. It is debatable whether it affected the play, because he let go before the pass was thrown. But since I could clearly see him holding Duncan's waist (it almost looked loving, like a slow dance) and since the Suns stole the pass, I'm saying "uncalled Phoenix foul." It is worth noting that this is only the second bad call of the entire third quarter and we've already got seven minutes in the books. By NBA referee standards, this quarter is a freaking Picasso.
Suns 16th - Oberto tries to take a charge, but both feet are clearly inside the restricted area. The he flops in incredible fashion.
Spurs 17th - Tough call on Amare as Duncan puts a forearm into his face, but there is no way around it. Some tough calls are still right calls. Stoudemire has been boned over many times in this series, but not this time.
Spurs 19th - Okay, these are the refs I know and love. Duncan gets away with an awful moving screen and then takes two steps backward before dishing out to Bowen for a three. I might let one or the other slide, but in sequence that counts as an "uncalled San Antonio violation." I'm also giving Kurt Thomas a pathetic flop here for trying to take a shady charge on Manu. Come on, Kurt, you've had a great game, you are better than that.
Suns 19th - Duncan hits Amare on the shooting hand and then across the shoulder, then tops it off with a look of total shock. Then Steve Kerr calls him out for it. Baby point for TD.
Spurs 20th - Funny moment. Oberto gets called for a three-second violation and is completely shocked. On further review, he was in the key for eight seconds.
Spurs 21st Horry gets knocked down after a steal with no call. The shove caused him to travel and they didn't call that either, so this appeared to be one of those plays were the refs just call nothing because they can't be bothered. Probably not the best way to go, but not worth counting in the tally.
Suns 24th - Spurs go crazy wanting a Diaw travel, but the slow-mo shows he took a step with the left, then one with the right. Nothing more than the typical move. Just looked weird, like a Ginobili drive.
Suns 25th - Suns fans want a goal-tending call on Horry and for good reason. He blocked it after it hit the backboard. Whoops.
End of Third Quarter - Suns 71 Spurs 64 (third quarter a 22-22 tie)
Tally:
Uncalled S.A. fouls - 0* (note: Bowen had about 12 alone, but they didn't have a direct impact. Although you could argue that is exactly the genius of his approach, because the refs are probably thinking the same thing I am and therefore not calling them)
Uncalled PHX fouls - 1
Bad calls on S.A. - 1
Bad calls on PHX - 0
Uncalled S.A. violation - 2
"Net" advantage on calls - Even
Pathetic complaints - S.A. 1, Suns 0
Pathetic flops - Spurs 1, Suns 1
"Net" baby factor - Spurs +1
Comments: Much, much, MUCH better job by the officials in this quarter. Which is actually in keeping with my theories on this whole thing. I believe they do their shoddiest work early, because they know it will wind up being overlooked. But as John Hollinger of ESPN is fond of saying, points count the same in the first half as they do in the second.
Fourth Quarter
Spurs 3rd - Ginobili takes three steps (covering about 15 feet) and doesn't get called for traveling. The crowd is, shall we say, displeased.
Suns 10th - Bowen hits Barbosa across the chest. But it is one of those "we'll just call it out of bounds instead" plays, so no harm.
Suns 11th - After Nash throws a pass to Barbosa, Bowen hits Nash in the face. Seriously, watch Bowen for 48 minutes sometime. Really watch him. It will blow your mind. Like that old MTV show Diary, I thought I knew, but I had NO idea.
Suns 14th - Bowen doesn't like a solid screen from Kurt Thomas, so he grabs Thomas' leg then throws an elbow ... then gets posted up for two points.
End of Fourth Quarter - Suns 101 Spurs 81 (fourth quarter 30-17, just like the second quarter)
Tally:
Uncalled S.A. fouls - 2
Uncalled PHX fouls - 0
Bad calls on S.A. - 0
Bad calls on PHX - 0
Uncalled S.A. violation - 1
"Net" advantage on calls - Spurs +3
Pathetic complaints - S.A. 0, Suns 0
Pathetic flops - Spurs 0, Suns 0
"Net" baby factor - None
Comments: The Suns ran away with it in the fourth quarter and at that point, the Spurs literally lost the will to foul.
End of Game Tally:
Uncalled S.A. fouls - 8
Uncalled PHX fouls - 6
Bad calls on S.A. - 1
Bad calls on PHX - 6
Uncalled S.A. violation - 3
"Net" advantage on calls - Spurs +10
"Net" baby factor - Spurs +2
Comments: I learned a lot from this. I learned that when you analyze every single play that a lot of calls that look bad really aren't that terrible. And that a lot of them really are. I learned that it takes about six hours to watch a game this way. I learned that even in a huge Suns win, the Spurs still got the benefit of +10 on the calls. And that was being as fair as humanly possible, giving San Antonio the benefit of the close calls (to balance any natural bias I might have), AND ignoring the 20-25 Bowen and Oberto fouls away from the play. I am more convinced now than ever that the Spurs have an enormous systematic advantage over every other team when it comes to the whistles. Now I just have to figure out why. I will explore this in the next post.
