Subscribe Feed (RSS)It did not have a thing to do with the outcome of the Portland-Houston game. Or any other game I watched Saturday. But what’s always bothered me is that the games are called so much differently in the playoffs than they are in the regular season.
You thought you knew what a foul was. You thought you had traveling figured out. But then the playoffs come around three days later and suddenly, all of that’s different. It’s pretty ridiculous. Baseball umpires don’t change their strike zone in the World Series. Pass interference doesn’t change in the Super Bowl.
Man, get some basketball rules and stick to them. If you want a physical game, fine — just call it that way all year. Don’t wait until now to stop calling fouls. But if something was a foul a week ago, it probably should still be a foul now, shouldn’t it?
Cue the piano:
“The NBA: where-the-rules-are-suddenly-different-in-the-post-season-than-they-were-for-82-games happens.”
Tags: NBA playoffs, NBA rules
lol, totally agree.
I agree, but to be fair Football refs do tend to do the same thing, way less penalties get called in the playoffs
But Dwight-
These refs are the best in the world.
That officiating crew is not quite ready for the playoffs. Maybe never will be. But when you stink the place up as bad as the Blazers did, it doesn’t matter.
The NHL has a similar issue with the post season. They have really tried to crack down on the call inconsistency the last few years, though.
I disagree that it didn’t have a thing to do with the outcome, at least a little bit, of the game last night.
The lopsided calls started early on and the crowd really started laying into the refs instead of cheering the team on. I think the team responded to that negatively. I don’t mean to say that the fans have that much to do with outcome, but I think the energy in the Rose Garden was really bad last night. So in that sense, I think it played into the outcome.
The team had the opportunity though to go into the locker room at the half and come back out and change the direction of the game. They didn’t. The calls started against the Blazers right from the get-go and with the exception of a few inside shots, it was just jumper after jumper that weren’t falling and that’s hardly inspiring. It all just completely fell apart in the third.
I think the crowd needs to tone it down a bit. I don’t think the “These refs suck” chants late in the game were helping. Yeah, I thought they did suck, but how is that helping?
Dwight,
The Blazers lost the game last night. The refs did not.
My question – In your experience, is the three second rule in the paint generally not called in the playoffs? I noticed in particular Yao standing in the paint for the full duration of the Blazer sequences on more than one occasion.
I think this is pure BS.
Yes, the referee’s can swing a game one way or another.
-The majority of shots taken by the Blazers during the first quarter got us to the line 1 time. On the other hand, the Rockets got to the line 10 times, going inside in almost an equal proportion.
-The Blazers, when going inside were man-handled. When the Blazers tried the same moveson the Rockets, we were called.
This sets a frustration tone with the team. It becomes part of the game and will get inside their heads. You don’t admit that Dwight?
The lead while cut down on shots, is continuing to be built by the opposing team – due to the fouls.
My point is that these are Professionals, just like any of you working in your careers.
I don’t expect regular season to be refereed different than playoffs. I don’t expect Bryant to get a call that Batum wouldn’t get. I don’t expect a team to play one way, while another cannot play the same.
If Referees are not producing at a proper level, they should be repremanded or terminated – just like a normal employee.
Remember, this is the Playoffs now – you just had the “NBA’s Finest” refereeing these games.
Pathetic and I am a bit concerned for Dwight to just dismiss them like that. You don’t think Jake the Snake is eerily similiar to these other refs?
MVP — Portland was down 18 at the half and that ANYTHING to do with referees? Come on… All season long Houston has proved it can defend without fouling. Give the Rockets credit and don’t be afraid to pin some blame on the Blazers. Portland got its tail kicked, pure and simple. Hell, Yao got tagged with two ridiculous fouls. He goes to the bench and Portland’s next five shots are outside jumpers. I guess the referees must have been forcing them to take those shots.
– Dwight
And seriously, folks — there was nothing wrong with that officiating crew. NOTHING. People — you remind me of the story about the team of mentally challenged basketball players returning on the bus from getting hammered 110-3. It was quiet most of the ride until, from the back of the bus, one kid said,
“F—ing referees.”
– Dwight
There was something wrong with the officiating last night. It didn’t cost Portland the game, but it was bad. You do see how that’s not an either/or proposition, do you not?
The NBA is a joke when it comes to calling games consistently. Whether its from the regular season to the playoffs or game-to-game or making calls consistently from player-to-player.
In my opinion, the sign of a good ref is that you don’t notice them. Yet, in the NBA they seem to be the focal point of so many games. Not saying they changed the outcome last night, but isn’t it dumb that we even have to focus on them?
Dwight -
I still think your failing to see the point. I have yet to see a single post in either of the threads today regarding “The referees blew the game for Portland”….
Portland blew the game, not the referees – but the referees were enablers.
Portland finished the game 50-32 for points in the paint. At halftime, free throws were (3FT Portland to 15FT Houston). That is a 12 point gap right there. How many of the layins by us, in the paint were missed? I rewinded each of them to see if they were missed or fouled.. They were heavily body checked on each of those shots (not in the hands, but in the body).
Can you really disregard that? If Portland was also shooting the lights out at an even % pace with Houston – this still wouldn’t have been close.
Not saying referees dictated the outcome, but they were enablers… Much like a Portland Heroin junkee on the streets. You didn’t put the needle in their vein, but you did give them change knowing EXACTLY where they were going to spend it.
–BTW, your the only person in Portland that has said officiating was fine. Nobody blames our loss on it, but everyone noted it. (Including people in my corporate HQ in Houston, Texas – whom are Rockets fans). If they said something.. doesn’t that say something?
When are we ever going to see Nate or B-Roy get technical? Instead of Brandon crying to the ref, why doesn’t he get pissed and get a technical. Let the refs know that you’re serious, not just crying.
Same with Nate. The team is down by 20 and we don’t see a technical from Nate or even one hard foul by the Blazers? You let Houston come to your home floor and blow you out and you don’t even put up a fight? You just dance through the game like you don’t even care? Someone pleased get pissed at the fact that you are getting embarrassed.
I didnt see anyone pissed. I did see a lot of sulking. That’s not going to cut it. A 5th grade team would be sad about the loss. The Blazers should be PISSED!
I think Nate is much more Tony Dungy than Mike Ditka, so you won’t see him cursing any refs out just to pick up a meaningless technical.
Complaining about the calls and the refs needs to stop. Time to adapt or be devoured.
-Blazers scored/drew fouls nearly everytime they got a pick & roll going TOWARDS the basket (particularly those w/ Roy in the 1st). Get to the paint via cuts, pick & roll, post-ups.
-Get Yao moving laterally & working for his points. He is neither fast nor agile. He was only forced to put the ball on the floor for one of his FGs last night. Do this by fronting with the double team.
Only dissappointment was Nate not switching up the defense on Yao at all. If Yao misses 1 or 2 of those attempts and Portland got anything out of Blake/LMA/Outlaw, much different ball game.
My two cents;
-I think it is just honesty or a realistic view of things that allows me to say this, the Blazers as much as I love them are not ready for primetime….yet.
-All the criticism said of not being able to guard quick point guards, needing to trade for vets, no one really wanting to drive except for Roy, etc were proved true. The Blazers were exposed for what they are, young and inexperienced jumpshooters. Unfortunately they looked scared and soft last night. I still think the future is extremely bright but tough choices are ahead for the Blazers.
-It will be an interesting summer to see how or what the Blazers do to improve this team. Either they leave as is with the nucleus or they trade a few key parts to get the parts that could get them to the next level.
-I believe one of two things will happen, either PDX will get swept or they sack up and get “pecked off (see Dwight for definition)” and make the series stretch to 7.
-Dwight do you see why some of us were not wanting Houston now? Adelman leaving 3 starters in most of the 4th was an interesting sight as well.
-Go Blazers!
oh and one more thing about the officiating, when the game mattered the officiating was inconsistent.
Simple truth, Houston deserved to win, refs did not make the Blazers play crappy d on yao (biggest whinner in NBA? Watch him when he is on the bench, he tries to ref from there. I especially think it is funny when he flexes and puffs out his chest on a dunk when he doesn’t even jump. Impressive.) and not front him.
Dwight not everyone who says the refs suck is a fanatic, maybe we have different perspectives….you reported, some played, some on this blog have coached, different views = different perspectives.
Oh my gawd… The excuses are coming out of the woodwork… The Blazers got their asses handed to them pure and simple.
I agree with the last poster that the Blazers got their butts kicked and that is all that happened. Houston deserved to win and they did.
Inconsistent calls also worked for Portland. I recall two in particular. Oden clearly traveled on one of his pivot in the paint until I can dunk moves (nothing wrong the moves, but he looked like he was on Dancing with the Stars) and Rudy charged Yao on that drive into the middle (you know the one I mean–Yao was motionless in position, outside the circle, and Rudy jumped into his chest and knocked him over).
Play the game, players, quit crying at the refs. Watch the game, fans, quit chanting about bad refs–it is NOT helping the Blazer’s cause.
http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20090418&game=HOUPOR
In the second Q they go on quite a run (14-2 if I’m reading that right and I’m not positive I am)when Frye goes in for the Blazers and Skola and Brooks go in for Houston. Just before that the Blazers went on a 11-4 run with Landry and Lowry in for Houston.
For me that is where/when the game really got out of reach.
i dont believe the game was fairly decided . from my spot in the garden i saw brandon get his head torn off by artest only to see houston get the foul and i saw a perfectly positioned pryzbilla both hands straight in the air getting nocked the fu k over only to be called for the foul. it was definetly biased .
One of the disadvantages that Portland has, being a young team, is they don’t know just what they CAN get away with in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure how for them to learn other than from experience.