[OT] Basketball anyone?

[reapersaurus]

wow.
that game 6 was.... interesting.

It's funny, many people on the newsgroups have been decrying that 'game' as the most sickening, unapologetically fixed basketball game they've ever seen, but as a long-time Kings-watcher, I have seen others just as bad. LOL

Here's to the Kings getting one-fourth the home-court advantage from the refs that the Lakers did tonight to close out a great series.

 

[Negative Zero]

i agree, even as a Lakers fan, i was really disappointed with the oficiating. i suppose it's nothing new that the refs and teams are encouraged to stretch the series out. it's still shamefull tho.

also, i don't think that shaq gives out as many offensive fouls as people think. he's a lot bigger and stonger than just about everyone else, and so it looks like he's manhandling the other players. not his fault he's the huge behemoth that he is

~NegZ

 

[MasterOfHeaven]

Yes, the officiating was not good, but it was not just the calls against the Kings that made me wince. There were also several that went against the Lakers that were very bad calls, and besides that, in Game 5 I think the Kings got the better end of the deal as far as the officiating goes. Mike Bibby would not have been able to make his game winning shot if the officials had correctly called the out of bounds ball that Webber knocked out.

That's part of the game. I've seen dozens of games called just as badly as the one I just watched, and several playoff games among those. You just have to play through it, at least until they change the system.

Personally, I think that the NBA should implement a feature they have in the NFL. (At least I think they do) When a call is disputed, have it analyzed over an instant replay. That way, the correct call can be made and there's no need for the "We wuz robbed!" that goes on so often in most sports.

 

[Negative Zero]

Personally, I think that the NBA should implement a feature they have in the NFL. (At least I think they do) When a call is disputed, have it analyzed over an instant replay. That way, the correct call can be made and there's no need for the "We wuz robbed!" that goes on so often in most sports.

i've often wondered about that myself. it's only now that they're talking about implementing it for buzzer beating shots. the league is supposed to discuss implementing it for those specific purposes in the off season. then again, i suppose with the nature of the league, it'll likely get abused a lot. there's already so much arguing over calls that goes on. ah well

~NegZ

 

[Sodalis]

That last game was atrocious. Being a Lakers fan, I am ashamed to even call myself that... although they did play their hearts out last night, i seriously did not think that it was a fair game...

At the outset of the game my GF told me that it will be reminiscent of teh Nets/ celtics game- cause Nets are up 3-2 and they won. she seriously thought it would be the same for kings-lakers and the kings will win.

But I told her that Vegas has more pull than she may ever imagine. Though the players are playing for real- the officiatign will make it so blatantly obvious that the league wants the Lakers to win- (for economic reasons). I told her that Webber and Vlade will get into early foul trouble taking them out of the game- and it happened. but the later calls were kinda scary- makes me wonder about my fortune telling abilities...

I said that Pollard will get fouled out early in the quarter- forcing Vlade to play. he will get gis fifth foul soon thereafter and then his last one about three minutes left in the fourth quarter. He fouled out with 2:40 left in the game...

Its kinda sad when a fan can tell you exactly how officiating wil go- considering the fact that they are supposd to be impartial.

Oh well- it makes for a more exciting game 7- and

I dint like it how Jackson (phil ) said that it was a throw away game for the kings- I mean there is no such thing as a throw away. They want to close out a team as soon as possible- and it is not smart for them to relax and let the Lakers get back into the series- especially with the momentum of this game going into the last and deciding game...

As for the instant replay- I have felt the same way. A team can challenge a call- if it is legitimate- they can change it, but if it was the coach just making it up, then they lose a time out.

But there is also the other extreme for this- remember the last game for the Lakers against the Blazers. With a couple minutes left in the game, a ref called a "i forgot something" and let the Blazers take two foul shots, gave them the ball and added ten seconds back onto the clock. That surprised the hell out of me cause I didnt think that a ref could do that- but i guess they could. The blazers tied the game at the buzzer forcing OT (which would not have happened if it werent for those two FT and extra time) and then won in 2OT...

Whatchagonnado?

game seven will be awesome- considering Kobe and Shaq have got their groove than g back- they are performing up to their normal playoff caliber (taken from last year's playoffs) and if the rest of the frikkin team would do something- they can pull this off-

But in all due respect- I think the Kings should have won alredy. they have been by far the superior team- and have played masterfully. If they dont make it- my hats off to them- they were great and a very fun team to watch.

One last thing- they need to bench FOX. to quote my roomate, "SCRUB!!!!" he cant make baskets, is too small to play the forward position, and too slow to play the guard and not smartenough to be the point man. They need to sit him down and cut his arse next year... For the amount of time he on the court- he averages like 10 points- my gosh man- for getting paid $50,000 a game- you are worthless...

 

[MasterOfHeaven]

Sodalis: The refs tipped Game 5 in the favor of the Kings as much as they tipped Game 6 in the favor of the Lakers, especially that last call that allowed Bibby to make the game winning shot.

Again, this happens often in basketball, and in professional sports in general, and until they change the system, it's part of the game, and the players and fans have to accept that.

 

[Mistwell]

You guys are forgetting game 4 was tipped to the Lakers as well. There was an after-the-buzzer shot that, had it been called correctly, would have cost the Lakers that game. It's very clear on the replay, but the refs didn't catch it. This series would have been over already, had that call be made correctly.

 

[MasterOfHeaven]

You guys are forgetting game 4 was tipped to the Lakers as well. There was an after-the-buzzer shot that, had it been called correctly, would have cost the Lakers that game. It's very clear on the replay, but the refs didn't catch it. This series would have been over already, had that call be made correctly.

Right. Game 4. Another one of the one point games. I can recall at least three or four calls in that game that should've gone in the Lakers favor. And if they had been called correctly, the Lakers would've gotten the extra points needed to win anyway. We can go back and forth about this over and over, but the fact is the refs aren't perfect, they are going to make bad calls, and it's not a one way street.

Anyway, I think I've made my position sufficiently clear on the issue, and I'm going to bow out of the debate for now, at least. Hopefully tomorrows game will be as fun to watch as the previous six, and the better team will win, whichever one that may be.

 

[Negative Zero]

...It's very clear on the replay, but the refs didn't catch it. ...

well um ... duh. lots of things are really clear when you get to watch it in slo-mo after the fact and you already know what you're looking for. there are 3 refs trying to follow 10 guys, and the ball, and the clock. it's not as esay as it sounds, and it doens't really sound easy, does it. i gripe about the refs too, but you gotta admit, it's a tough job.

as for the whole, "they won by one point" thing, i don't really think that matters. sure it's easy to say that if you took away the one basket the final score would have been different. and it might have. but very likely, the way the game was played from that point on wouldn't have been the same. just coz the announcers go on about things like "if they'd hit all their freethrows they'd have won" doesn't mean they're right.

you can't subtract or add shots after the fact and beleive that it would explain away anything. well, not logically anyway coz when those final minutes of that 4th quater are ticking down, both teams play according to what's on the scoreboard at that time. not what the score was 20 mins ago.

~NegZ

 

[Sodalis]

I admit that Iw as emotional in the way I told the stories of the refs- but that was just part of the post. you guys are completely ignoring the important part- and that was the fact that the Lakers and Kings, both extremely good teams, are going into Game 7 with both their backs to the walls- and fighting on their heels.

the kings went into game 6 with HUGE momentum- having dominated the last four games. And to lose this game was a heart breaker. They are now on level ground with the defending NBA champs and have to play a one- game elimination. The lakers have experience on their side.

The lakers have been playing horribly for the last 5 and a half games- but still managed to stay alive. But this is when they shine- Kobe and Shaq are on step with where they were last year and that is bad for the kings. To boot, they have momentum, and experience in the playoffs to put the kings away.

The best part about this series is that none of the teams are talking trash- or not that much at least. Bot teams respect the abilities of the other and are tetsifying to how great they are, by praising on how great their opponents are, and still being able to beat them.

Although I must admit that the Kings are the mroe exciting team to watch. the lakers, with the acquisition of Shaq has become a center dominated team. they are slow and need offensive set up. the kings are a forward dominated team- one that like to run, and that is the fun team to watch- especially when their opponent (NETS) is built the same way.

I was really disappointed when the Clips did not make it this year. I was watching their games a lot more than teh Lakers....