officiating was consistently bad for both sides in today's game. on at least two of the "charges" scottie drew he was still moving his feet and that is a blocking foul. that goaltending call was bs. so was that smith trip. so was that shaq noncall on smith. so were the numerous tickytack fouls called on both teams. this is the nba playoffs. like bill walton said, the only time the refs should be calling fouls is if it results in a loss of possession, not if the mans hands brush the other guys jersey while he is dribbling. ------------------
I guess this game finally answered that age old question by showing us that a superstar can overcome a great team, oh, wait, maybe it answered the other age old question.... Yes. Pippen does suck. ------------------ humble, but hungry.
with all those open looks clanging over the final 8 minutes of the game one has to wonder whether LA was able to swing a special short-term lease of The Leperchaun for the rest of the playoffs... call me crazy, but the image I have of Boston's finest in LA gear brings to mind... Nicholson. Hell, that'll scare any ball off the rim... ------------------ "We have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual."
The Blazers choked in the 4th, no doubt about that. You can't just look at the whistles, though, you have to look at the significance of each foul. Smith falling down (even though Bryant was riding his hip) and getting a whistle just isn't that significant of a call. Smith's shot at the end was, however, and especially Grant and Sabonis getting 2 fouls each in the first quarter...both are very significant instances that weigh heavily on the complexion of a game. The fouls on Grant and Sabonis aren't obvious, blatant, game-deciding calls, but they cripple any chance Portland has at guarding Godzilla for the majority of the game. Game over. ------------------ "Yes, I came from the 80s...but I didn't kill anybody. Give me a break." -Mike Tramp, former lead singer of White Lion
