NBA has to correct that Refs problem ASAP. The refs have too big an influence on the outcome of games and it is becoming a big international joke. If Heats wins the Finals, it proves once again that you need superstars to win the title because, well, superstars get calls. A lot of people hate the Lakers who won three championships because that Lakers team got every freaking call. And I hope no Rox's fans will think Heats' model could be applied to Rox too because that will be too naive. Rox do have two stars, but they don't get calls, especially one of them no only doesn't get calls, he usually has all the calls against him.
Here is some more clarification. Looke like I was wrong and right at the same time: Looks like the officials made the correct call, but not in the way that I thought.
The only thing better than the Mavericks choking away 3 straight games from 2-0 is losing the last one on a mental mistake by a guy who was himself a mental mistake. Wait, I take that back. There's one thing even better than the loss: spending the next 48 hours whining about the referees, so you're all set up to choke away the last one at home. We are the victims - my friends And we'll keep on whining - till the end ...
What? All of a sudden, Dirk is Superstar no more? And Wade is the lone superstar? Mavs complaining about calls, what a joke.
Exactly and I agree with you. I mean, the Mavericks MIGHT have gotten the shaft, but they've benefited from calls just as much as any other team, if not more so why cry about it? It's pretty childish. Mark Cuban might be a billionaire and an owner, but he's pretty stupid to pull something like that with David Stern. The Commish will have the last laugh.
I'm with you, Will. This has been fun! I didn't think the Heat were capable of winning 3 straight games against the Mavs. I felt like the Mavs might even sweep. The Heat didn't play a great game last night...and they came away with a win. I think they're gonna win this thing, now. It won't be impossible for the Mavs to win 2 in a row. But this isn't the steely resolve of the 94 Rockets, for instance. They're shaken and distracted now.
it looks like a ESPN reporter on the INSIDER tried to approach Gosh Howard explaining that the referee has told him that JH actually called for a Time out twice this was his response: Anybody with the whole thing please post: "What am I saying to you right now, dog? Please, don't come off on me right now because I'm going to come off on you, and I'm not in a great mood right now. Get out of my face, man. Get out of my face." I was never in Howard's face, I was merely calmly passing along to him the explanation that referee Joey Crawford had given to my colleague, ESPN.com's Marc Stein, about the disputed timeout call with 1.9 seconds left that kept the Mavericks from inbounding from midcourt for a final shot.
Fair enough, that adds clarity, so there is no established position until the player has the ball, therefore it was called correctly. DD
No kidding. The overtime was lame on both sides. I was sitting there waiting to see which team would end up giving the game to the other. Figured the Mavs would take it and then finish them off at home. But then we were saved! Thank you, Captain Brain Fart!
Yeah, I read it the same way as CrazyJoeDavola: http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_4.html?nav=ArticleList Section VI-Frontcourt/Backcourt a. A team's frontcourt consists of that part of the court between its endline and the nearer edge of the midcourt line, including the basket and inbounds part of the backboard. b. A team's backcourt consists of the entire midcourt line and the rest of the court to include the opponent's basket and inbounds part of the backboard. c. A ball being held by a player: (1) is in the frontcourt if neither the ball nor the player is touching the backcourt, (2) is in the backcourt if either the ball or player is touching the backcourt. d. A ball being dribbled is (1) in the frontcourt when the ball and both feet of the player are in the frontcourt, (2) in the backcourt if the ball or either foot of the player is in the backcourt. e. The ball is considered in the frontcourt once it has broken the plane of the midcourt line and is not in player control. f. The team on offense must bring the ball across the midcourt line within 8 seconds. No additional 10-second count is permitted in the backcourt. EXCEPTION: (1) kicked ball, (2) punched ball, (3) technical foul on the defensive team, (4) delay-of-game warning on the defensive team or (5) infection control. g. Frontcourt/backcourt status is not attained until a player with the ball has established a positive position in either half during (1) a jump ball, (2) a steal by a defensive player, or (3) a throw-in in the last two minutes of the fourth period and/or any overtime period. Watching the video, and then reading the rules (particularly that last section), I interpret it as Wade didn't have frontcourt status with the ball because he didn't establish position with the ball in the front court. He only established backcourt status once he caught it and set a foot down, and could then dribble into the front court. To me, that's not a violation. That the particular section on exceptions on frontcourt/backcourt status have this situation grouped together with a jump ball is significant. If there's a jump ball, and you're standing in the front court, jump across the center line, and catch it in the backcourt (regardless of where you are in the air when you actually catch the ball), it is not a backcourt violation.
It makes sense that a crazy game like that finishes off a crazy playoffs. I'm looking forward to see how Shaq, Payton, and Zo play in the next game. Those guys look like they want this championship more than anything. Wade looks like he's just using this stage to establish himself as the best guard in the NBA, and on the way he's going to win a finals MVP. I don't think he has any idea what winning a championship is like or at least how hard it is to win one, not like those other guys do. The Mavericks will regret playing in "hold on to the lead mode" in the 4th quarters of games 3 and 5, they should have played to extend their leads. Dirk and Avery Johnson will never get as close to another championship as they did last night, and who knows how Josh Howard's career goes from here on out. It's been a great playoffs, a great finals, and even though I didn't like Shaq before I now think he understands the real damage you can make from the center position that makes him a pleasure to watch. Maybe that talk with Bill Russell didn't just improve his relationship with Kobe, but it also improved his approach to the game.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7362/backcourtvio5ow.jpg This is the pic when Wade received the ball, it's clear he got the ball in the front court (with foot on the floor) before jumping into backcourt. So it all comes down "establish a positive position", does that mean you are not moving? Or once you get the ball, you've established a position?
Watching that video replay, I think it is a back court violation. A backcourt violation is when a player takes the ball from the front court to the back court. Wade had both feet on the floor on the front court. He jumped in the air (this act did not change anything), caught the ball, and landed in the back court. A clear back court violation. A quote at the top of rule 8: http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_8.html?nav=ArticleList "For location of a player in the air, his position is that from which he last touched the floor" While it is true that in the last 2 minutes, the ball can be inbounded into the backcourt, that was not the case here. The ball was inbounded into the front court and carried into the back court. If Wade had run back onto the backcourt and had two feet down on the backcourt, then caught the ball, he would have been ok.
I have a question for all that feel the Mavs are being hosed by the refs. Where were your cries for letting stuff go in the games closing seconds in Game 3, where Dirk shot 24 FT's in Game 3 against SA (including the game winners in the closing seconds). Where were you when the refs called a foul on Bowen in the closing seconds of Game 4 against SA, allowing Dirk to send the game to OT. Where were you after Game 7, when a p***y foul on Manu sent Dirk to the line for the tying FT (see the first pic, which was clearly a foul...similar to the foul on Wade last night)? http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-photos-West Wade shot 25 FT's last night. Yes, that was BS. However, the Mavs wouldn't even be in the Finals if it weren't for their JUMP SHOOTING flopper getting sent to the line more than most (he only broke Jordans record for the most free throws attempted in the postseason....no biggie though).
