Did anyone hear about Larry complaining about the officials?

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I was watching Cold Pizza this morning and from the looks of the most recent comments, Larry Brown is looking a little desperate. Yesterday he said something to the effect that the Pistons were 1-7 these playoffs when "a certain official" called the games and 11-1 when the mystery man was not on the crew. In one of the stranger sites I've seen Woody Paige actually spoke some sense. He broke things down and showed that they are 1-4 when Danny Crawford works their games and 0-3 when someone else (maybe Salvatore?) is on the crew, and that his 11-1 claim couldn't possibly be right because of the way the reffing assignments were spread around. Now I'm not blaming Larry's math here, but I am a little upset at his comments.

Up until now all he had said regarding his team not getting calls is that the Spurs were just being more aggressive, and that earns them calls. This seems like a reversal of policy, and a disapointing one at that. What does everyone here think, should he be fined?

[Extra Stout]

The Pistons are 1-4 when Crawford officiates, 0-3 when Ron Garrettson officiates, and 11-1 when neither is there.

Those two call tight games. What it means is that the Pistons cannot adjust to tight officiating.

It also means that we should expect a different type of game tonight.

[Marklar MM]

I was watching Cold Pizza this morning and from the looks of the most recent comments, Larry Brown is looking a little desperate. Yesterday he said something to the effect that the Pistons were 1-7 these playoffs when "a certain official" called the games and 11-1 when the mystery man was not on the crew. In one of the stranger sites I've seen Woody Paige actually spoke some sense. He broke things down and showed that they are 1-4 when Danny Crawford works their games and 0-3 when someone else (maybe Salvatore?) is on the crew, and that his 11-1 claim couldn't possibly be right because of the way the reffing assignments were spread around. Now I'm not blaming Larry's math here, but I am a little upset at his comments.

Up until now all he had said regarding his team not getting calls is that the Spurs were just being more aggressive, and that earns them calls. This seems like a reversal of policy, and a disapointing one at that. What does everyone here think, should he be fined?


Was Phil Jackson ever fined? He did the same things when his teams lost.

[Isiah]

There may be some truth to it, but its just another excuse for the Pistons, I am severely disappointed in how they have handled calls going against them thru the play-offs, this no respect angle seems to have backfired on them.... We'll see whats up tonight

[101A]

11-2

[weebo]

LB is just trying to get his team some calls. I'm pretty disappointed in his comments, because here is a coach who preaches "playing the right way" who is looking for cheap calls. It's not the officials fault the Pistons lack intensity. They really look overmatched vs. the Spurs.

[BigVee]

All teams can ALWAYS find fault with the officiating. In game 5 v. Pho the Spurs were getting hosed big time in the first quarter...but they just kept on playing, in time the calls evened out and they won the game. You lose by 2 you can point to the officials maybe, you lose by 15 and 21....bullshit, look in the mirror.

[Spurminator]

I'd like to see less ticky-tack fouls called on both ends tonight... I think the Spurs are just as capable as the Pistons of succeeding in that kind of game. It's not like the Spurs can't rough you up on defense as well.

[violentkitten]

larry is working the refs. pistons make a lot of contact on the defensive end which of course is subject to the peccadilos of the officiating crew on any given night. spurs are no stranger to this though pop does emphasize less reliance on hand grabs and slaps and more on good footwork and rotations

[easjer]

I'm ticked off about it because he was hoping to single two of the refs that I think are the most fair. Dan Crawford is one of my favorites, because he is consistent and fair to both teams. Even if I disagree with some of his calls, he's not lopsided in any way.

And to see Larry Brown bitching about refs just ticks me off, frankly. I thought he was above that.

[baseline bum]

and the crybaby cries...

[MainEvent]

It's pretty well known that there's a lot of animosity between Garretson and Sheed. Those guys just don't like each other. Games reffed by Garretson tend to give Sheed a bad whistle.

Still, champions play over bad officiating. The Spurs have seen their fair share of bad calls in these playoffs as well. That's not the reason the Pistons have been dominated the past 5 quarters of basketball. The Spurs are dissecting the Pistons defense right now and are totally disrupting the Pistons offense at the other end.

[GoSpurs21]

just goes to show Larry knows nothing about "the right way"
sorry if the refs dont put up with the dirty pistons play, Larry you need to shut the fuck up and learn to make some baskets

[SWC Bonfire]

You know, the Pistons organization has done nothing to make this team better (personell-wise) pretty much since Larry took over. Carlisle got unfairly canned IMO, and LB just got to work with the talent he helped assemble.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

You know, the Pistons organization has done nothing to make this team better (personell-wise) pretty much since Larry took over. Carlisle got unfairly canned IMO, and LB just got to work with the talent he helped assemble.

Well, getting Rasheed was a pretty good pickup, but that's just the nature of the beast in the NBA. Guys get a title and when they turn free agent they suddenly have a much bigger price tag because other teams want their "championship experience and leadership" in the locker room. James, Okur, Williamson all split for greener pastures, fatter checks, and more PT.

You are right about Carlisle though. If he had had the same team that Brown had last year I think he could have won a championship. Hell, look at the job he did with the depleted Pacers squad this year.

[tsb2000]

Like Danny Crawford is any friend of the Spurs...While I do believe that some refs have a quicker whistle than others, IMO they all are consistent among the teams. If a ref has a quick whistle with the Spurs, he will have it with the Heat, the Pistons, the Suns, etc. Disparity in FTA is because of the way teams play. If a team attacks the rim, they will get more whistles. If they do nothing but shoot from outside, they won't go to the freethrow line very much.

[Isiah]

That was ignorant, The Pistons shot 6 3s all game, the spurs shot 24 3s, the Pistons outrebounded the Spurs, and put up 20 more FGA, who is attacking and who is not?? Spurs 34 FTA, the Pistons 16 FTA.... Granted the Pistons got smoked, but don't say they didn't attack, that would be ignorant

[MainEvent]

You know, the Pistons organization has done nothing to make this team better (personell-wise) pretty much since Larry took over. Carlisle got unfairly canned IMO, and LB just got to work with the talent he helped assemble.

Carlisle didn't have anything to do with assembling any talent. That's Dumars job and his job alone. He takes input from his coaches, but they don't make the decisions. Remember, part of Carlisle's undoing was his insistence on playing Michael Curry and not developing Prince and Okur. While LB certainly hasn't been a perfect coach (his handling of Darko has been less than ideal, as was his attitude after the brawl) every Piston to a man says they are a better player for having played under Brown. You weren't hearing those kind of comments about Carlisle when he left. Carlisle had certainly done something to alienate the players to a certain degree and the owner as well. Carlisle's a good coach, but he wasn't going to get a contract extension so it was time for him to go.

[cmc$purs]

The refs have to get tired of the pistons crying after every call or non call :cry
when rashweed fell to the floor whining ,what a chump :lol :lol
just shut up and play you might be surprised , the refs respect those who respect them :eyebrows


Larry shut up and coach :blah
mix in a layup drill they suck :spin

[Chris4]

This is not an excuse, but how is it that in the playoffs Detroit is 1-7 when Ron Garretson and Dan Crawford official when otherwise they are 11-1. That cannot be a coincidence. It is a staggering statistic.

[Horry For 3!]

Excuse

[Horry For 3!]

It doesn't matter who the refs are.

[bigzak25]

probobaly cuz crawford is in the players heads just like he's in yours.

[Horry For 3!]

Spurs, only the 2nd team to ever win the first 2 games by 15 or more points. Pistons just got owned. Deal with it.

[TwoHandJam]

My opinion of Larry Brown just went down another notch.

http://www.freep.com/sports/pistons/pistons-box114e_20050614.htm


Who's the biased ref?

June 14, 2005

"There's a simple statistic. We're 1-7 with one referee, and we're 11-1 with the rest." — LARRY BROWN

This time, the Pistons' coach blasted a ref. But which one?


On Monday, Brown blamed part of the Pistons' lack of composure on an unnamed official.


He didn't identify this official.


But if he really feels that way, maybe he should have identified two officials.


Here's the Pistons' playoff record under two refs:


Ron Garretson
0-4



Dan Crawford
1-3



Neither
11-1



Note: Garretson and Crawford have not worked a Pistons playoff game together.

Rasheed Wallace was already fined $20,000 for ref-bashing in the Miami series. How much will Larry pay today?

And Brown expects his team to keep their heads about the officiating while setting this kind of example?

Ridiculous.

[T Park]

Lets hope for Ron Garretson tonight and whoever gave em that one loss on thursday.

[easjer]

I firmly believe that there are biased refs. I believe that refs can make or break a game.

But in this case? The Pistons are the only ones standing in their way. They've not played well. They went down in series where they ought to have swept. They blew games.

I can't say much about Garrettson. But I will say that in these playoffs, Danny Crawford has emerged as one of my favorite officials, because he's consistent, tight, and even. I may not agree with every call, but he keeps players focused on the game and calls both sides fairly.

This whole episode has left a bad taste in my mouth. And Larry Brown, who I respected and admired, just makes me ill. I can't stand him anymore.

[Chris4]

Well obviously it does matter who the refs are. And you are right Larry Brown is an awful coach. He must not know what he's doing by making that comment. It is true, we have lost the games and not the referees, but I can count on two hands blantantly terrible calls against us. It is just incredible.

[cmc$purs]

:cry :baby :cry :baby

piston fans :cry :baby
piston players :cry :baby
piston coach :cry :baby


SUCK IT UP AND PLAY

[2centsworth]

Well obviously it does matter who the refs are. And you are right Larry Brown is an awful coach. He must not know what he's doing by making that comment. It is true, we have lost the games and not the referees, but I can count on two hands blantantly terrible calls against us. It is just incredible.
Usually the team getting their asses kicked complains about the refs. It's a cry for HELP!!!!!

[easjer]

OK. There have been bad calls. But it's hardly one sided, friend. This is the most evenly called series I've seen yet in this postseason. The Pistons have gotten away with just as much as the Spurs.

They're calling on both sides, so Larry Brown needs to shut it. I didn't argue about the bad calls in Game 5 y'all had against Miami, but to claim that the refs are screwing you in this series?

Sorry, go sell crazy somewhere else - we're all stocked up here.

[kukjavel]

amazingly the pistons are undefeated when they score more points than opponents so maybe they should try doing that instead of complaining about refs

[Chris4]

well then you haven't been watching the postseason until now, friend.

[travis2]

Lets hope for Ron Garretson tonight and whoever gave em that one loss on thursday.

Garretson won't be in the mix tonight. He was in Game 1 with Javie and Callahan. Game 2 was Crawford, Nies, and Fryer.

We'll probably end up with Salvatore tonight. :vomit

[easjer]

amazingly the pistons are undefeated when they score more points than opponents so maybe they should try doing that instead of complaining about refs

:lol

[nkdlunch]

when rashweed fell to the floor whining ,what a chump :lol :lol

yeah I was cracking up. I thought he was gonna start kicking and screaming like a 5 year old. That boy got some skills but he is the biggest baby in the league. Brown should carry around a pacifier for him.

[FromWayDowntown]

Curiously, if the NBA sticks to its format for scheduling officials in the Finals, there's a decent chance that the Game 5 crew will be Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, and Dan Crawford.

FWIW, Garretson and Javie will almost certainly call Game 5, joined by either Danny Crawford, Bernie Fryer, or Jack Nies. If this goes to 6, I'd be willing to bet that either Dan Crawford or Bernie Fryer will call that game.


That cannot be a coincidence. It is a staggering statistic.

Take solace in this: the Spurs were 38-3 at home this regular season, and are 8-2 at home during the playoffs. Of the 5 losses in 51 games, Eddie Rush was on the floor for 3 of them. By the same logic, that cannot be a coincidence, right?

[HULKAROCK]

Stat or no stat, you'll see a different team out there tonight. Sit back, relax and be ready to get dissapointed.

[nkdlunch]

I don't think blowouts should count on those ref's records.

[HULKAROCK]

Larry Brown is an awful coach.

That's what's incredible. So easily you turn on the guy when the chips are down.

[FromWayDowntown]

Garretson won't be in the mix tonight. He was in Game 1 with Javie and Callahan. Game 2 was Crawford, Nies, and Fryer.

We'll probably end up with Salvatore tonight. :vomit

There are only 6 guys in the mix for the next two games. I can't say that I know absolutely who they are, but I'm willing to bet that they are:

Dick Bavetta
Joey Crawford
Eddie F. Rush
Joe Derosa
Bob Delaney
Bennett Salvatore

Three will get Game 3, the other three will get Game 4. If we don't get Salvatore tonight, we'll get Salvatore on Thursday.

[samikeyp]

ANYONE, Spurs fans included, who blames their teams failures on the refs is myopic and ignorant. Put down the Kool-aid people (and yes, its spelled with a K but that is another rant for another time) David Stern does not sit down with the refs before each series and say "this is how the series is going to go" I find it ironic that Piston fans (not all of course) are doing this year what they accused Laker fan of last season.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Like Danny Crawford is any friend of the Spurs...While I do believe that some refs have a quicker whistle than others, IMO they all are consistent among the teams. If a ref has a quick whistle with the Spurs, he will have it with the Heat, the Pistons, the Suns, etc. Disparity in FTA is because of the way teams play. If a team attacks the rim, they will get more whistles. If they do nothing but shoot from outside, they won't go to the freethrow line very much.


Which is the exact opposite of how game 2 was called.

16 FTs on 76 2-point shot attempts and 31 FTs on 38 2-point shot attempts.

[Browns_shadow]

Well obviously it does matter who the refs are. And you are right Larry Brown is an awful coach. He must not know what he's doing by making that comment. It is true, we have lost the games and not the referees, but I can count on two hands blantantly terrible calls against us. It is just incredible.
There you go, turn on LB. He's the only reason the Pistons have a post-Daly championship, that and the fact that the Lakers quit in the finals last year. How many hands does it take to count the dumbass personnel moves mighty Joe has made in the last 6 years? Darko over Wade and Carmello, letting Mike James go, G. Hill, the firing of Carlisle after consecutive 50 win seasons.......................

Spurs are :king

[WayDowntownBang]

Well obviously it does matter who the refs are. And you are right Larry Brown is an awful coach. He must not know what he's doing by making that comment. It is true, we have lost the games and not the referees, but I can count on two hands blantantly terrible calls against us. It is just incredible.

I wouldn't call Larry Brown an AWFUL coach.

Doug Collins was an awful coach.

Larry is a guy who's obviously letting his frustrations out in the public. He's breaking down, and I don't think it's a far stretch to say that we're going to have a different coach this coming year. Is Pop available?

And as long as those wild referee stats are out there, you're going to think about that. But tell me this.. if the Pistons blocked the shorts, made their shots, and blew the Spurs out of the gym, is there any way that the refs could change the game?

The Pistons can't blame it on the refs, and it's EMBARRASING to be a fan of a team who's coach even hints at that. Just play the games. If you win, stand up and cheer. If you lose, tip your hat to the team that beat you.

The Spurs and Pistons are both CLASSY organizations, and it's obvious by this board that both teams' fans have respect for the others. We don't need this kind of crap tainting this.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

I wouldn't call Larry Brown an AWFUL coach.

Doug Collins was an awful coach.

Larry is a guy who's obviously letting his frustrations out in the public. He's breaking down, and I don't think it's a far stretch to say that we're going to have a different coach this coming year. Is Pop available?

And as long as those wild referee stats are out there, you're going to think about that. But tell me this.. if the Pistons blocked the shorts, made their shots, and blew the Spurs out of the gym, is there any way that the refs could change the game?

The Pistons can't blame it on the refs, and it's EMBARRASING to be a fan of a team who's coach even hints at that. Just play the games. If you win, stand up and cheer. If you lose, tip your hat to the team that beat you.

The Spurs and Pistons are both CLASSY organizations, and it's obvious by this board that both teams' fans have respect for the others. We don't need this kind of crap tainting this.


Agreed. It's one thing for fans to complain, a different animal when coaches/players do it.

[FromWayDowntown]

Which is the exact opposite of how game 2 was called.

16 FTs on 76 2-point shot attempts and 31 FTs on 38 2-point shot attempts.

That makes some sense, but I'm always reluctant to correlate FTA to FGA to find a theme. If you get fouled and go to the line for 2, you don't get a FGA (whether a 2 or a 3) so the disparity in FGA grows with each trip to the line. The Pistons also got a lot of second chance opportunities that account for the overall disparity. And the Pistons have, seemingly, made a conscious effort to not try many 3's against the Spurs so far (around 6 per game), so they're going to get a lot more 2 point attempts.

I try to stay fairly objective about the officiating, but I haven't seen any huge disparities. I thought the FT disparity was vast, but I also noted that the Spurs got to the rim far more easily in Game 2 than I ever thought they would against Detroit, which suggests to me that, despite the FGA disparity, they were attacking the rim far more aggressively than the Pistons were.

[Marklar MM]

How many hands does it take to count the dumbass personnel moves mighty Joe has made in the last 6 years? Darko over Wade and Carmello, letting Mike James go, G. Hill, the firing of Carlisle after consecutive 50 win seasons.......................

Spurs are :king


As of right now, the Darko pick is looking bad. We will know next year.
Mike James wanted a contract we did not want to give out.
G.Hill turned into Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins. Atkins in turn turned into Rasheed.
Carlisle alienated himself...his own fault he was fired. None of the players really cared he was fired. Some were actually happy.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

That makes some sense, but I'm always reluctant to correlate FTA to FGA to find a theme. If you get fouled and go to the line for 2, you don't get a FGA (whether a 2 or a 3) so the disparity in FGA grows with each trip to the line. The Pistons also got a lot of second chance opportunities that account for the overall disparity. And the Pistons have, seemingly, made a conscious effort to not try many 3's against the Spurs so far (around 6 per game), so they're going to get a lot more 2 point attempts.

I try to stay fairly objective about the officiating, but I haven't seen any huge disparities. I thought the FT disparity was vast, but I also noted that the Spurs got to the rim far more easily in Game 2 than I ever thought they would against Detroit, which suggests to me that, despite the FGA disparity, they were attacking the rim far more aggressively than the Pistons were.

You know, I didn't think G2 was officiated that bad.

But I'd be lying to say I wasn't bitching at my TV when Detroit was whistled for 3 fouls in 30 seconds right after they cut it to 8. SA didn't make a basket until, what, the 6 minute mark of the 4th? Some of those calls on Manu were downright awful...

But that's the way it shakes out sometimes. Crying in the media surely doesn't help.

[MiNuS]

The technicals did help UP the score.The Spurs cannot control that.
The Spurs did hit 11 3's the Piston's 0. The Spurs can only help themselves.
Ginobili was relentless.He is a Spur. The Spurs are glad he is.

The Pistons have to answer on the floor against the Spurs if they make it a Pistons Vs
teh referrees,the Spurs are going to eat their lunch.

[GhostofAlfrederickHughes]

This is not an excuse, but how is it that in the playoffs Detroit is 1-7 when Ron Garretson and Dan Crawford official when otherwise they are 11-1. That cannot be a coincidence. It is a staggering statistic.Not only is it a lame excuse, it has no statistical validity. Here's the breakdown of Detroit's games through Tuesday.

OFFICIAL CREW Flagrants Techs Det-FTA Opp-FTA
Fryer Willard NiesW 106-85 0 0 24 20
Bavetta Callahan BrothersW 99-84 0 2 23 21
Willard McCutheon GarretsonL 115-104 0 1 25 25
Delaney Jones JavieW97-92 0 0 24 16
Rush Foster CorbinW88-78 0 1 27 20
Fryer Kersey ClarkW96-81 0 0 40 24
Callahan Garretson CorbinL92-83 0 0 19 14
D.Crawford Forte WashingtonL79-74 0 1 28 27
Delaney Grillo JavieW89-76 0 1 20 28
Rush Nies J.CrawfordW86-67 0 0 14 19
Salvatore Spooner MauerW88-79 0 1 24 7
Fryer Delaney CallahanW90-81 0 0 12 10
Bavetta Rush WashingtonL92-86 0 2 23 23
D. Crawford Willard ForteL113-104 0 3 43 54
Stafford Nies J.CrawfordW106-96 0 1 39 39
Mauer Garretson JavieL88-76 0 1 20 23
Salvatore Fryer D. CrawfordW91-66 0 2 19 18
Bavetta Rush J. CrawfordW88-82 0 0 15 24
Callahan Garretson JavieL84-69 0 1 14 15
Fryer D. Crawford NiesL97-76 0 2 16 34

There's not any real strong correlation one could make. With the exception of a few games, there's not a huge free throw disparity (best measure of lopsided officiating), and even that doesn't always correlate with the final outcome of the game. Sure, Dan Crawford has been on the crew during some losses, but he was also there (along with Bernie Fryer) for their 91-66 thrashing of the Wade-less Heat. And Fryer is associated with more wins than losses. Garretson officiated games where Iverson and Wade lit up the Pistons' defense for 37 and 40 points, respectively, which probably had more to do with those losses than anything else.

More likely, Brown and the Pistons are simply biased by the fact that Crawford officiated the most free-throw, technical-foul laden game of the playoffs (a 113-104 loss to Miami).

I suspect if one dug deeper in the box scores (and if Detroit dug deeper beyond the B.S. they're shoveling in the media), they'd find that they lost not based on who was officiating, but on the "intangibles." You know, little things like rebounds, assists, turnovers....

http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smidrunk.gif

[FromWayDowntown]

You know, I didn't think G2 was officiated that bad.

But I'd be lying to say I wasn't bitching at my TV when Detroit was whistled for 3 fouls in 30 seconds right after they cut it to 8. SA didn't make a basket until, what, the 6 minute mark of the 4th? Some of those calls on Manu were downright awful...

But that's the way it shakes out sometimes. Crying in the media surely doesn't help.

Just to be sure that you know, I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. I just wanted to weigh in on the correlation of FTA to FGA and your post offered me that chance.

[Siler97]

Bad calls didn't get the pistons down by 23, bad decision making and bad team managment did. Yeah the calls that went against them didn't help when they made their push, but they never should have put themselves in that kinda situation.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Just to be sure that you know, I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. I just wanted to weigh in on the correlation of FTA to FGA and your post offered me that chance.

No problem. Stop being so damn nice....SPURS SUCK*











*J/K

[LilMissSPURfect]

dang.......as long as we don't get the "old man" 2 nite......

i don't think he's biased either way.....but the old man ....seees things that are not there!

[Browns_shadow]

As of right now, the Darko pick is looking bad. We will know next year.
Mike James wanted a contract we did not want to give out.
G.Hill turned into Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins. Atkins in turn turned into Rasheed.
Carlisle alienated himself...his own fault he was fired. None of the players really cared he was fired. Some were actually happy.
Two of those choices, maybe three add up to the 2-0 deficit the Pistons now face. With Wade and James on your team instead of Ham and Darko, this could be a different series. The same could be said about Carlisle, if LB's health or interaction with the Cavs wasn't a part of the Pistons mindset at this time, maybe the Pistons could focus on the task at hand. I don't think G.Hill sould have been on the playoff roster the year he destroyed his ankle by competing in the playoffs, Grant was a man about it, but it was Joe that rode the horse 'til it died.

[catydid]

undefinedundefinedundefined
Yes, we saw that and did you see him when asked about the officiating and he said "next question" refusing any other kind of response? :depressed Have you checked out the Pistons fan site and read all the complaints and false hopes. Now, I'm not saying the Pistons are done but they sure are close to it. WHEN the Spurs win tonight, we can start bringing out the brooms. We have to win this first one up there. The foot is on their throats then and it will all be over but the awarding of the trophy!

[Supergirl]

The previous 3 rounds have shown that complaining about the refs benefits the Spurs.

Why? Because even when the other team complains, and even if the refs call the game differently from game to game (which will undoubtedly happen tonight, because it's 3 new refs, because it's the Pistons' home floor, and because Brown complained) - the bottom line is that the Spurs adjust their game, and the Pistons are apparently incapable of doing so.

I think Brown pointing out how his team has consistantly lost when two refs are in the game makes his team look WEAK. You can only win if the refs call the game the way you want? THat's no champion. A champion finds a way to win, to adjust to how the game is called.

Keep complaining Brown, keep your team focused on the refs. That will send the Spurs home with the trophy even earlier.

[MiNuS]

Crawford=NO BS= T's

[MiNuS]

Pistons should use the Spurs tactic and joke with the refs and kiss them lon the cheek like Horry. It works. 5 championships and soon 1 more.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Pistons should use the Spurs tactic and joke with the refs and kiss them lon the cheek like Horry. It works. 5 championships and soon 1 more.


I was watching that Shaq show and Doleac mentioned how at one point either Steve Kerr or Horry was on the championship team for 10 straight years. That's a pretty amazing run for those two guys...

[FromWayDowntown]

I was watching that Shaq show and Doleac mentioned how at one point either Steve Kerr or Horry was on the championship team for 10 straight years. That's a pretty amazing run for those two guys...

Actually, last year was the first year in 11 that the champ didn't have either Horry or Kerr. There's a chance that those two will make it 11 out of 12 . . . .

[50 cent]

The way the Spurs held their composure in Game #5 of the Suns series was just incredible. Hell, I lost my composure at home and I couldn't believe Pop wasn't getting T'd up (especially in the 1st half). But low and behold, we were stride for stride with them the whole game even being on the wrong end of tons of terrible calls (do the back to back to back off the ball offensive fouls ring a bell?) and the Spurs kept playing like they didn't even notice. This team is professional in every aspect and is good enough to play 5 on 8. Bring on the crappy refs tonight. You know it's going to happen, I know it, the Spurs know it and we don't care. We'll win anyway!

[wildbill2u]

This is not an excuse, but how is it that in the playoffs Detroit is 1-7 when Ron Garretson and Dan Crawford official when otherwise they are 11-1. That cannot be a coincidence. It is a staggering statistic.

What that staggering statistic proves is that the Pistons can't adjust to the way a particular ref calls the game--but the other team can.

That's a pretty lame excuse for your defense.

[spurswillchoke]

Spurs, only the 2nd team to ever win the first 2 games by 15 or more points. Pistons just got owned. Deal with it.

Let me finish for you, Spurs, only the 2nd team to ever win the first 2 games by 15 or more points. Then lose the next 4 in a row :lol