Easy question. Did LeBron foul Durant on the potential game tying shot, or was it good Bowen like DEFENCE? OKC only have themselves to blame, the 18-2 start expended a lot of energy & leaving 3point shooters unmarked on the perimeter is unforgivable. But it is hard to stop the tin foil hat brigade of conspiracy theorists coming out in force when, IMO, Durant & James looked like they were in the octagon, not the low post.
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Foul. Lebron always gets the benefit of the calls in the closing seconds of games. THis isnt the 1st time <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ziF3AWpYE0Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lhbM6uuCt74" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NohZ1S42tFU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1XZymcPHypI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yq70UaVv6go" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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I use this criteria: Would it have been likely to be called for Wade, Kobe, Ginobili, Harden etc in the same situation? I think yes, therefore, to ensure a level playing field, it is a foul. I honestly believe it wasn't called because refs are so used to guys 'selling' the contact. Durant didn't flail wildly, yell like Gasol, or jerk his head like he got shot. On some level that's a good thing, but it didn't work out. I'm more angry about the "goaltending" call....
Durant probably should have been gone anyway because that block on Battier was really a charge which would have been his 6th foul. But yes, it looked like a foul on LeBron. Oh well.
Wow. Come on guys. Refs NEVER call fouls like that in the closing seconds of a game. Unless someone gets knocked to the floor or gets absolutely hammered. It would be a foul in the middle of any other quarter, but we all know refs swallow whistles end-game.
It honestly did not look like a foul to me. The little bit of contact there was didn't effect the shot. The refs did miss some calls both ways tonight, but overall they have been consistent and thats all we can ask for.
It should've been called a foul, but no ref in their right mind is going to call a foul with, what, 7 seconds left on the clock. I don't think that's ever happened, though I may be wrong. It's OKC's fault for dicking around the entire first half and expecting themselves to be able to dig out of the hole. Which, surprisingly, they did once again but it was a little too late. Miami played swell; their collapse near the end is a little bit unnerving but refereeing was pretty equal for both sides. Here's to seeing OKC take two in Miami.
How can you be certain? I'm willing to bet that a 250 lb dude putting any amount of weight on your thigh in-flight is going to affect your baseline shot pretty significantly, as in make it go short & flat off of the iron. Anyway, I'll concede that the Heat just outplayed the Thunder. But about that "goaltend"....
There is no question there was a foul. Lebron was grabbing Durant's arm and Durant chucked up the shot because he felt the contact.
They could of called a foul, but thats how the end of the game goes... sometimes they'll call it, sometimes they let it play out. The end of the first half with 11 seconds left, Westbrook got a call.
It was a foul. No doubt about it. Referees miss calls all the time. That was a foul. Durant's blocking foul on Battier was a charge. Fisher bumped Wade when he lost the ball bringing the ball up. Westbrook got hammered on the put back dunk
that no call sucked but there were other blown calls (one where wade fell without being touched and a foul was called and then the ref helped him up - lol) the goaltend call was the worst though, it was in the second quarter when OKC was making its initial charge and Miami was going through an offense drought and got 2 free points which change momentum completely and spurred the heat on another run which pushed them comfortably ahead again until the 4th. But lets not completely fool ourselves the Thunder would have won easily if they dont start the game so poorly there is no way they wont get blown out in Miami if they try to do that again the wont have their home crowd fueling them - that is going to Brooks' biggest challenge its been 3 games in a row now that they've started very poorly.
