Come on guys, it's the play-offs, I dislike this guy as much as anybody and if they're not going to call it fairly, just do something about it. I hate how teams still think they can mess with us, we're way too soft out there. Ariza got a nice knee to the head, but send a message next game! The Warriors know they can get away with dirty stuff and they exposed themselves by supposedly calling us out on expecting a chippy series. They were actually acknowledging they play dirty and they know teams will retaliate because the referees are on their side.
I grew up in Michigan and Draymond is throw back to the days of the Pistons. We talked ish on the court all day and tried to get in your head and force you out of your game. It was non stop trash talking all day and if you paid attention, we got you. The players must block that out and play through it and get in his head as you make plays. Today's players very rarely can handle a guy like Draymond. D12 should start setting up on the block near the baseline and just through the ball in the air to D12. Nothing Draymond can do that close to the basket.
Talking trash is one thing.... This? This is what we call "shenanigans". This level of ass-hattery is accepted without so much as a common foul... but you touch Curry's butt while he shoots? That's a foul for sure. Harden goes to the bucket, beats the whole team doing it, gets hacked mercilessly and basically forces the refs to call the 4th or 5th karate chop and everyone complains about him getting calls, boos, carries on, labels him a villain like this is some kind of ****ing comic book, etc... This is stupid. Why can't the best players in the world just be the best players in the world. I don't like lawyerball. I don't want to watch 5 on 8 basketball. I want to see the best players in the world pitting their skills against each other AND MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN.
As JVG stated, it was clear the Green intentionally fell and brought Ariza down with him to prevent Ariza from switching on the screen. I do hope the NBA looks into it, and they should fine him for his dirty play. That was a big play in this game.
Adding insult to injury, the TV ref that analyzed the play didn't see anyhhng wrong with it. What?!!! You mean you didn't see Draymond hugging him not allowing him to get up? The ex ref had the benefit of watching it in slow motion in a studio and still couldn't see that? That tells you all you need to know about NBA refs. Other than that, I was fine with hw Draymond played. Would love to have him on my team.
Ariza pulled at him to try and get momentum around the screen. They both fell, and it was a lot of nothing. Ariza's legs hit Green in the head, and that made Green go flailing and that in turn, made Ariza getting up even more awkward. Again, just a lot of nothing.
Hope NBA actually wants to maintain some integrity and acknowledges the crappy officiating from this game. At least in private to the Rockets. Why let a team get away with so much and enable them to win (from lop-sided officiating)? There have been comments from other games against other teams with the same conclusion/observations.
Which allowed Curry to get free for a open lay up during a critical moment of the game. Amazing how much moving picks and silly crap like this that GSW gets away with.
Fact is its a foul on Green and it lead to an easy layup and we would have had a tie game later on if they weren't gifting 2 points.
He was intentionally falling. Whether he intended to injure anyone is of no consequence. If his act was harmful, then he is responsible for his intentional ACTIONS. The act was cheap as well as illegal. He got away with it and his team scored on the play so it was successful. But no way anyone should categorize that BS as smart basketball. It reeked of desperation, Rockets now aware that these scumbags will do anything and everything to just stay in the game with them. Should be advantage to Rockets going forward.
Take another look with this video and vine. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...get-chippy-during-game-1-of-conference-finals It's obvious Green purposley fell into Ariza and then when Ariza tried to get up Green wrapped his arms around him not allowing him to get up. I can forgive the ref a pass initially because he wasn't even looking at the incident. But they should have got it right after watching the replay. These are no red colored glasses I'm looking through. This was blatant. Also, I think the refs actually did a decent job all night. They got away with calls and so did we. Although they did make some pretty sissy calls. One I recall was the runner Curry made in the lane, barely got tapped. You can tell his version of the flop is twisting his body in the air when barely hit. He did it on that late three at the top of the key, too. Ariza or Smith barely brushed him but not enough to affect his shot or make his body turn the way it did. The other was a foul on Howard that was just ridiculous. However, Harden was walking all over the place and it was driving me crazy.
Look at the top video again - the side angle, and freeze it at 0:25-0:27. Ariza hooks his arm around Green and pulls him towards him as he's trying to get around Green. It's not intentional, but that's what initially starts the fall. After they fall, Ariza's legs land on Green's chest - whether Green was reacting to that or actually trying to hold Ariza down is a bit less clear. But the refs got it right - two players just got tangled and fell in an ugly way but it was a whole lot of nothing.
If Ariza is moving towards the basket he would be hooking Green away from the basket. When Green falls he's falling backwards directly at him. That hook didn't throw Green off balance. After they fall Green is holding Ariza's leg with his right arm once they're both down. He's pulling down on it as Ariza tries to get up back onto the court that's why Ariza's weight shifts back down towards Green.
There's a better angle that shows Green as the main culprit. Sure Ariza does get some hits in, but there needs to be a call against Green as he FALLS on Ariza on purpose, and then HOLDS him and prevents from getting back into the play.
