http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_12466192 LOS ANGELES — The NBA has an integrity problem, as shrill and annoying as a referee's whistle. If the competitors don't trust the truth in the final score, why should we? Did the Nuggets lose to the Los Angeles Lakers 103-94, or were they robbed by referees who gave favorable calls to a marquee franchise that pumps up television ratings? Does the league want to see superstar Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals rather than the tattooed bad boys of Denver? In an accusation that goes straight to the heart of the sport's integrity, one member of the Nuggets shook his head in disgust after the game, and could not believe how cheap it was for Los Angeles to buy a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. "The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game. They got their money's worth," said a Denver player, not wanting to be identified for fear of retribution from the league. Was the outcome rigged? I refuse to believe it was. The 16 field-goal attempts the Nuggets missed during the fourth quarter had much more to do with the defeat than any of the 30 personal fouls called against Denver by the referees. Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers organization were fined $50,000 by the NBA for complaining about the calls in Game 4, won decisively by the upstart Nuggets. Asked prior to Game 5 if he was playing mind games and planting seeds, Jackson laughed and said: "I'm a gardener. I like planting seeds . . . constantly." That's so funny the league office should strongly consider fining Jackson again, for making light of how coaches can influence the calls made by referees. Conspiracy theories are generally for losers. But the Lakers have been to the NBA Finals 29 more times than the Nuggets, long a laughingstock in this league. Was the final score of Game 5 also a joke? Denver didn't find it amusing. "I thought they got the benefit of the whistle," Denver coach George Karl said of the Lakers, suggesting the defense played by Los Angeles that held the Nuggets to 38.6 percent shooting from the floor was an illusion enhanced by how the refs influenced the game. While not wanting to get in a war of words with the great and powerful Zen Master of Los Angeles or be docked pay for complaining, Karl did say, "Every player in my locker room is frustrated, from guards to big guys." Nene fouled out in fewer than 26 minutes on the court, and Karl insisted at least three of the Denver center's six fouls did not exist. If that's not questioning the integrity of the game, I don't know what is. After the biggest playoff game in Denver pro basketball history ended in a disheartening loss, the angry whisper was that Jackson yanked the NBA with his trademark manipulative tactics, and the refs jumped like puppets on a string. If even one member of the Nuggets traveling party thinks his team didn't get a fair whistle, then you have to wonder if the league still has a problem it wished went away when referee Tim Donaghy resigned in 2007 after an FBI investigation into allegations he wagered on games. There's no denying that for the first time in their amazing playoff run, the Nuggets tightened up after being tied 76-76 with the Lakers through three quarters. Denver choked on a big opportunity. Asked to comment on the referees, Nuggets veteran Kenyon Martin said he wouldn't be able to stop until his words resulted in a fine if he got started. "Don't let the league take Share Your Analysis Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla fields your feedback. Look for it in Kickin' It With Kiz every Sunday. your money," Denver teammate Chauncey Billups told Martin. When the reeling Lakers absolutely, positively had to win, they did. Bryant scored 22 points. The Nuggets walked away with heads bowed. These are the NBA playoffs. "Where amazing happens," said Billups, making a joke at the expense of the league's motto. The Nuggets, however, definitely don't think it's funny.
I didn't watch the game, so I can't comment on the officiating last night. But I can say that I found it amusing that Phil Jackson thought the officiating was horrendous when the Nuggets had 14 more free throw attempts than the Lakers in game 4, but he didn't utter a word when LA had 14 more free throw attempts in game 3.
One thing I hate about officiating is preferential treatment. It happens in all sports but I'll bet it is most blatant in the NBA.
You know I was watching this game with a friend and we started to see the game change late in the 3rd. Lamar odoms p***y a** dunked on anderson and him and shannon brown were talking trash to birdman and birdman ended up with a tech. Then Nene had some fantom calls and ended up getting a tech, then I just looked at my friend and was like "they decided to give it to the lakers" and we just got up and left in the middle of the 4th. it was complete BS the way that game was called.
It really is becoming unwatchable. I can't even make myself sit through a game if it's not the Rockets. I definitely won't be making plans to watch the Finals- I might catch a bit if it's on, but no way I'm sitting through it for four quarters.
i thought yesterday's game was actually reffed pretty well. not even close to the "bad" games of the playoffs that we've seen in the past. Nene may have had a bad call go against him, but god they gave him every opportunity to not get a tech. But he ran his mouth after the play, after running his mouth, and from the bench during a timeout. And they weren't happy words.. Shannon Brown got away with something, but it was a double technical on Andersen and someone on the Lakers (Gasol I think). No free throws shot. No huge harm done there. Fouls, aside from a couple, were pretty ok. They were letting players play on both ends over almost the entire 4th quarter. Both teams weren't getting calls for a while...I'd say it was even in that respect. No clue why they chose THIS game to be upset about the refs
Toward the end I just saw the refs were letting both teams just play physical. Maybe the last foul on Nene falling to the ground should have been a noncall but other than that I didn't think the officiating was that bad. Chauncey had consecutive turnovers that led to fast break points by the Lakers, Shannon Brown had the monster dunk over Birdman to fire the crowd up, Lamar Odom had another nice facial. Denver was never able to recover after that series of events and that had nothing to do with the refs. Also, the technicals on Denver were warranted. Nene kept aggressively pursuing the refs after the call and even JVG commented about Nene, "It's not about you, its about the team. You just have to take what you think is a bad call and shut up." Those were my thoughts exactly...
I thought the game was called pretty poorly to the benefit of the Lakers but the Nuggets lost this game by disappearing in the 4th. Its unfortunate that the Lakers get quite a homecourt advantage but the Nuggets also failed to take care of business.
I thought officiating in the playoffs was pretty fair up until last night. Nene was screwed especially on his last foul where Pau extended his arm and bowled over Nene. the Lakers got touch fouls while Melo, Dhante(sp), and Nene got mugged under the basket with no calls. This is why I don't want to see the dream match up, but if any of the two teams were to make it, I would prefer the Cavs. This all starts at the top and David Stern is first place to look. Where there is smoke there is fire. There was smoke in baseball and look what happened. Nobody paid attention because of baseball's messenger Canseco. Think about it. Could Tim Donaghy single handedly fix games with 2 other honest refs on the floor? Every time a Techinical foul is rescinded or assessed after the game is over, that is saying the refs blew the call. With 3 refs on the floor this is unacceptable and I wish somebody would call out Stern on this. No matter how honest the refs are, if it looks crooked then may as well be crooked because nobody believes what they are watching is legit. True superstars don't need superstar calls.
While this is true, it is easy to lose your focus when you start feeling like you are playing against 5 Lakers and the officials. Players can overcome bad officiating, but it isn't always easy. Anyway, Nene wanted the technical last night imo.
The officiating in this game was okay overall. There might be a couple of calls that the Lakers got the benefit of doubt. But the officiating was not loop-sided. The Nuggets only had themselves to blame. They didn't play smart. They should have a lead in the first 3 quarters but they blew it themselves and let the Lakers tie it up the first 3 quarters. Then they played very bad at the end of 3rd quarter and the start of 4th quarter. The margin of error to win on the road is very small especially against the Lakers. The Lakers got Gasol for free, man. Billups is not as disciplined as he was under Larry Brown. Billups is kind of reversed back a little bit to his early self. JR Smith was a no show in offense. So, I hope the Nuggets will win Gm 6 and let's see what'll happen in Gm 7.
I agree to an extent, but when you call fouls on the few big men Denver has, you mess up their rotation and the game plan changes. Denver tried taking it to the basket and they weren't getting calls, so I guess to go to the jump shot. That one call on Kleiza get Ariza went to the rims was pure garbage considering Pau mugged Melo at the end of the game with a no call.
David Stern is about to make the Nuggets miserable over this. To me, this is worse than what JVG did. I will be shocked if Stern doesn't find out who this is and fine/suspend the hell out of them and possibly fine the Nuggets organization. I'm sure he is already mad enough about all the stupid Lebron/Kobe commercials filling the airwaves that look stupid now the Orlando will be headed to the Finals instead.
Any journalist worth his/her weight will not give up an anonymous source. I say he doesn't find out. JVG never gave up his source, he just took the penalty.
That last call on Nene was completely his fault. He tried to draw a charge and he flopped (and don't tell me a huge 7 footer like him falls down every time someone puts a forearm into him). Him falling caused Gasol to fall down--which forced the referee to make a call. They weren't calling anything at the end of the game last night--how about playing defense instead of putting it in the hands of the ref? Last night was not that badly officiated--it was in favor of the Lakers a bit but not even close to the worst we've seen. I agree with above posters when they say I don't understand why they are so upset over this particular game. Then again, the Nuggets are a stupid team.
If I wasn't such a rocket's fan, I doubt I would even watch the NBA. It's bordering on WWE out there. I find it ironic that there is very little controversy in officiating in college ball even with the number of refs and refs coming from different conferences.
did we seem the same play? nene beat him to the spot. There was some light contact and nene tried to draw the foul. But there was still contact initiated by gasol. Nene falling only caused gasol to fall because gasol was off balance due to the initiation of contact which he started. If anything, that was a no call.
