Even my wife who doesn't know much about basketball and rarely watches games was asking why they were calling the game differently on one end of the court. She was getting more pissed off than I was. Once I realized the fix was in, I already knew the outcome. Also, I haven't seen it mentioned but the commissioner was at the game and the refs pulled that BS so there is no doubt the fix was in.
All the complaining and cheap calls coming back to bite us. Refs are human. They screwed Cuban when he would talk non stop about how bad the refs were back in the day
Its hard to be objective when you are at the actual game as the atmosphere is obviously biased towards the Rockets, but after re-watching the game... I did not like the Mills free throws, he was no where close to actually shooting the ball(it was an odd call), the non call on Kawahi's huge shoulder to Ariza that is an absolute charge, and the camping in the lane that Aldridge and Gasol are doing. Its strange that three seconds hasn't been called one time on either team. Harden needs to drive towards Gasol every time and go up strong. Gasol isn't even coming close to blocking James shot.
I agree bro, I was heated after that call. There was clearly an agenda in my mind aftet seeing that bogus call. They could of at least reviewed it. It wasn't even close. I knew we had no chance. That's why it's imperative that we start knocking down shots because there's no way to "control" a game with the net swooshing.
The NBA is a business first and foremost. The bottom line of their P&L looks light without a game 6 and 7. This is fact. Just look at the process of the lottery. Behind door "just trust me" antics. I love the NBA and will root for the Rox forever but I'm not oblivious to certain agendas.
That being said - Ryno, wake the F up. - Bench, look in the mirror - Harden, start agressive in the first half - MDA, look deeper on your bench - Lastly, clone Bev's heart and pass around.
Once you all accept the fact that the NBA is rigged it'll calm you down. Of course they want this to game 7. It sucks but that's the way it is.
More than anything else wrong with the NBA, blatantly biased officiating is causing me to lose interest in watching the product. The only series I've watched this year is the Rockets vs OKC and SA. With what has happened in this series, I doubt I will tune in Sunday. I can't keep rewarding the NBA with my viewership anymore. As much as I've enjoyed the NBA for 35 years, I can say they have killed my interest.
business also needs to be attractive to get people to watch and last night was anything but attractive. it was ugly shitty basketball, 'aint nobody got time for that.
I am almost there with you. I was watching that crap last night and didn't even get pissed off because I knew what was happening. I have seen it too many times to get pissed off any more. My usually calm and collective wife was screaming at the TV. This is the first game she has watched all year and she was furious. lol.
The fact that key players being paid 10s of millions were missing wide open shots and were a non-factor. Sure those calls are BS but man the Rox got some inconsistent overpaid mofos on this team like no other well paid role players in the rest of the NBA. Too many Rockets simply not doing their job is the problem.
No doubt, if the refs swallow there whistle and do not call blatant fouls when we drive, the only way we can win is for the team to shoot lights out from behind the three point line. There are two problems here, first is the refs not calling blatant fouls followed by the team being unable to adjust to that by hitting there three point shots. If both of those things happen it absolutely kills our offense. I suspect we will get calls in game four because the NBA wants to see this series go to seven games.
I saw this video on nba tv facebook page, some old dude was reviewing questionable calls and the harden gasol three was one. He was saying Harden did an offense foul because he did a not so normal shooting motion, meaning his leg and arm went to the side. After watching that replay with the 3 angles they showed I thought Gasol went into Hardens shooting space. I thought maybe Harden might injur himself if he didn't move his leg and arms like he did. Who knows!?!?!?
Same here my wife too! Haha And really my most likely hypothesis for all of this isn't even that the NBA is against the rockets, or at least not this year. I think they would actually prefer to see a rockets warriors series instead of warriors Spurs, though we haven't seen them go at it in the playoffs yet have we? I'm not sure that the NBA wants to see warriors cavs III or Spurs vs Lebron III either. I think it's a combination of refs giving in to the Spurs' reputation, which is horrible. It just further stratifies the gap between traditional contenders and newcomers who are trying to elevate their status. Also, I think the NBA would like a game 6 or 7. Problem is, if we don't execute properly and San Antonio goes beast mode, the series will be over. That's the danger you create when you arbitrarily help a good team.
The team always needs to continue to improve, and a couple guys in particular really failed to step up in this game. At the same time, when the paint is taken away from you, it makes it a lot easier for a team to then lock down the three point line. Also, players like Beverley and Anderson depend on the flow of the offense to get open shots or well-timed drives. The 11 points I mentioned in op (equal to the margin of defeat) also affected the game in other ways.
I think it is likely just the refs sucking. I'm pretty sure the Rockets series against the Thunder was the highest one. Then it is reputation. Thanks to everyone whining about it, Harden has the rep as a dirty flopper that can't score without being fouled. I think for those refs it was a big F U to Harden. People hate the Harden swing under 3. I think the NBA will make it so it is a call on the floor regardless, which I'm fine with.
Adam Silver being at the game insured the Rockets were never getting the homecourt advantage calls that the Spurs got in game 2. From the first call where they called Bev for an offensive foul on the fastbreak you knew they were going to kill any possible momentum. They killed so many potential turning points...they're truly professional momentum killers.
