Who are the refs tonight?

[Jimcs50]

not that it makes any difference.

I just hope that the New Orleans fans stay on their feet for the first 6 mins of the 1st quarter.

[NASHville]

Why does it matter? Just play the game.

[Dex]

Steve Javie
Dick Bavetta
Scott Foster

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html

[Jimcs50]

Why does it matter? Just play the game.

It matters if Dick Bavetta or Joey Crawford are refs tonight....otherwise it does not matter

[Dex]

Just play the game.

Something you can't say for your own team?

If you've been watching this series, then you'd know that that the officials matter.

[Jimcs50]

Oh fuck......Bavetta.

:bang

[Dex]

Maybe Javie can keep him at bay?

[Jimcs50]

Maybe Javie can keep him at bay?


Javie is the one ref that will not let the crowd influence the calls.

[TheTruth62987]

not that it makes any difference.

I just hope that the New Orleans fans stay on their feet for the first 6 mins of the 1st quarter.

You're not going to keep them from scoring for the first 6 minutes. It's impossible.

[Jimcs50]

You're not going to keep them from scoring for the first 6 minutes. It's impossible.


Improbable....not impossible......still, it would be cool.

[Dex]

i think we should try to do it anyways.

[NASHville]

Something you can't say for your own team?

If you've been watching this series, then you'd know that that the officials matter.

It is also one of the lamest excuses a team can use. I just thought Spurs fans were above that. :rolleyes

[Jimcs50]

It is also one of the lamest excuses a team can use. I just thought Spurs fans were above that. :rolleyes


We are not above anything. We whine and bitch as well as any fans.


:)

[easjer]

Bavetta is not that bad, Jim. Javie is crew chief, it appears, which is good news. Bavetta is a fair official - he inserts himself in the game and tries to keep it close, but he doesn't cave to pressure, and he calls things evenly on both ends of the court, generally speaking.

Not the worst crew, by far, that we could have gotten.

In the end though - the Spurs are going to have to play amazingly well for more than 2 quarters to pull this win off. Let's hope they are ready to do that.

[carrecaminos]

what a waste of space.

[Jimcs50]

Bavetta is not that bad, Jim. Javie is crew chief, it appears, which is good news. Bavetta is a fair official - he inserts himself in the game and tries to keep it close, but he doesn't cave to pressure, and he calls things evenly on both ends of the court, generally speaking.

Not the worst crew, by far, that we could have gotten.

In the end though - the Spurs are going to have to play amazingly well for more than 2 quarters to pull this win off. Let's hope they are ready to do that.


Ok, I feel better.

:toast

[Jimcs50]

what a waste of space.


what, the area between your ears?

[Strike]

I'm not worried about the refs. I'm worried about the Spurs playing their game. When they attack the rim and get in the paint, they win. When they settle for jump shots over and over and over, they lose.

Every single game in this series, I've been saying one of two things:

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ATTACK THE FUCKING RIM!!! GET IN THE GOD DAMN PAINT!!!":bang

Or....

"THAT'S IT!!! KEEP ATTACKING THE RIM!!! KEEP GETTING IN THE GOD DAMN PAINT!!!":rollin

I just hope I'm yelling the latter during tonight's game.

:flag:

[slayermin]

Steve Javie
Dick Bavetta
Scott Foster

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html

It's deja vu, all over again. Javie and Bavetta worked game seven vs. Dallas in '06.

Even though we lost that game, I thought they helped us out a little that day.

[T Park]

Javie helps the road team :toast

I'm feeling better about this game!

[TampaDude]

It's deja vu, all over again. Javie and Bavetta worked game seven vs. Dallas in '06.

Even though we lost that game, I thought they helped us out a little that day.

Good...as long as Manu doesn't foul someone on a last-second layup with the Spurs up 3, it's all good... :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

Because of the officials or because of something else, I have this feeling that tonight's game will the first close game in the series and we'll get a chance to see who's got what at nut-cutting time. The challenge is insanely difficult for the Spurs -- road teams have won 19 of the 99 Game 7's to this point in history, though there is some small amount of solace in the fact that the last time a road team won a Game 7 in this round (conference semifinal), both Javie and Bavetta were on the floor and were willing to make huge calls against the home team in the closing seconds.

At least that's how I'm going to rationalize it for the next 8 1/2 hours.

[nfg3]

Javie helps the road team :toast

I'm feeling better about this game!

That's what I was thinking, too. He gives the road teams more benefit of the doubt and isn't caught up in the home crowd antics.

That said the Spurs must attack all night long using good ball movement. TD needs to make his decisions faster so the double team won't be as effective. Get into the paint relentlessly. The Bees defensive rotations at home are much faster than on the road so this is going to be a hard fought game.

But given the history of this team - no series wins after going down 0-2 and never winning game 7 on the road - it's time to break these trends and start new ones.

Ultimately it's the team and not the refs that win games. The bsst team wins a 7 game series and it going to be us!

Believe.

:flag:

[LakerLanny]

Only 1 Circle of 7 Fixer Ref: Steve Jobbie

Bavetta misses lots of calls but then provides lots of make up calls the other way and it usually will even out.

Foster is not very good, but does not appear to be a biased official.

Current Circle of 7 Fixer List:

Steve Jobbie, Bennett "The Rat" Salvatore, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies, Bob Delaney, Kenny "Slick" Mauer and of course Joey Crawford.

[FromWayDowntown]

Just to be a wet blanket of sorts, in these playoffs, Javie has called 10 games and the home team has won 7 of the 10:

BOS/ATL - Gm. 1 (@BOS) -- BOS win
DET/PHIL -- Gm. 2 (@ DET) -- DET win
SA/PNX -- Gm. 3 (@ PNX) -- SA win [road win]
NO/DAL -- Gm. 4 (@ DAL) -- NO win [road win]
HOU/UTH -- Gm. 5 (@ HOU) -- HOU win
CLE/WAS -- Gm. 6 (@ WAS) -- CLE win [road win]
DET/ORL -- Gm. 2 (@ DET) -- DET win
NO/SA -- Gm. 3 (@ SA) -- SA win
BOS/CLE -- Gm. 4 (@ CLE ) -- CLE win
LAL/UTH -- Gm. 5 (@ LAL) -- LAL win

[LakerLanny]

You guys might take solace in the infamous Lakers-Queens series of a few years back that featured horrific fixes in favor of the Queens in Games 2 and 5 followed by the infamous "FT attempt differential" Game 6 win for the Lakers (of course Queen fan conveniently ignores the Hack A Shaq and late game intentional fouls that pushed that FT attempt differential to where it was) that led to a deciding Game 7.

After an entire series of absolutely rigged officiating, the officials in Game 7 actually let the players on the floor decide the game (I know, a novel concept) and the result of course was justice in the form of a Laker Game 7 road win.

So maybe we get an honestly officiated game tonight with consistent calls on both ends. But I wouldn't bet on it.

It takes a special kind of team to win on the road in Game 7. I am not sure your team has what it takes inside, but we shall see.

[FromWayDowntown]

To complete the prior thought, the road team is 2-6 in games that Foster officiates this postseason (Foster called Detroit's road win at Philadelphia in Game 6 of that series and the Lakers' road win at Utah last Friday) and 2-7 with Bavetta on the whistle (Bavetta called Orlando's Game 4 win in Toronto and the Lakers' Game 4 win in Denver).

By the way, the Hornets are 2-0 at home in these playoffs with Bavetta in the game (Game 1 of their series against Dallas and Game 2 of the current series). They are 1-0 at home with Foster (Game 5 of their series with Dallas). They are 1-1 in these playoffs with Javie on the floor (won Game 4 of their series against Dallas and lost Game 3 of their series against SA).

From the Spurs' perspective, they are 1-1 with Bavetta calling the game (won Game 2 against Phoenix, lost Game 2 against NO), 0-1 with Foster on the floor (lost Game 4 at Phoenix), and 2-0 with Javie on the floor (won Game 3 at Phoenix, won Game 3 against the Hornets in San Antonio).

[curtismedellin]

with Javie in at least we'll get a fair shake at winning this thing.

[FromWayDowntown]

It takes a special kind of team to win on the road in Game 7. I am not sure your team has what it takes inside, but we shall see.

I agree that we shall see. The 2006 Mavericks weren't exactly the most mentally stable bunch to ever lace up sneakers and play NBA games and those bitches won a Game 7 on the road.

[FromWayDowntown]

For the record, here are all of the 19 teams that have won a Game 7 on the road:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=GAMESEVENROADWINNERS&prov=st&type=lgns

YEAR TEAM ROUND
==== ==== =====

2007 Utah (at Houston) Western Conference first round

2006 Dallas (at San Antonio) Western Conference semifinals

2005 Detroit (at Miami) Eastern Conference finals

2005 Indiana (at Boston) Eastern Conference first round

2002 LA Lakers (at Sacramento) Western Conference finals

2000 New York (at Miami) Eastern Conference semifinals

1995 Indiana (at New York) Eastern Conference semifinals

1995 Houston (at Phoenix) Western Conference semifinals

1982 Philadelphia (at Boston) Eastern Conference finals

1981 Kansas City (at Phoenix) Western Conference semifinals

1981 Houston (at San Antonio) Western Conference semifinals

1978 Washington (at Seattle) NBA Finals

1976 Phoenix (at Golden State) Western Conference finals

1974 Boston (at Milwaukee) NBA Finals

1973 New York (at Boston) Eastern Conference finals

1971 Baltimore (at New York) Eastern Conference finals

1969 Boston (at Los Angeles) NBA Finals

1968 Boston (at Philadelphia) Eastern Division finals

1948 Philadelphia (at St Louis) Semifinals

[LakerLanny]

I agree that we shall see. The 2006 Mavericks weren't exactly the most mentally stable bunch to ever lace up sneakers and play NBA games and those bitches won a Game 7 on the road.


Geez, I forgot about that. Good point, the Mavs are not the first team you think of when you think "mentally tough" are they? :lol

One thing that has been alarming for the Spurs is the lack of fight after the Bugs make their runs at home. You know there will be times in the game when NO gets on a roll, the crowd gets into it, the refs start to become fans instead of impartial arbitrators, etc.

So far in the series, the Spurs have caved in at those moments. Maybe they find their nuts tonight in the pressure cooker and instead fight back when those things happen because you know they will indeed happen.

Playing a decent 3rd quarter would also be a Popovich priority I would imagine and I am sure he has carped on that endlessly leading up to this one.

Good luck, Laker nation will be watching!

[FromWayDowntown]

Geez, I forgot about that. Good point, the Mavs are not the first team you think of when you think "mentally tough" are they? :lol

It's the thing that's giving me the most solace at this point. That Mavs team had gone up 3-1, lost the next two, and still rallied to win Game 7 on the road before undertaking one of the greatest implosions in professional sports history. If they could do it under those circumstances, these Spurs have it in them to get this thing done.


One thing that has been alarming for the Spurs is the lack of fight after the Bugs make their runs at home.

* * * *

So far in the series, the Spurs have caved in at those moments. Maybe they find their nuts tonight in the pressure cooker and instead fight back when those things happen because you know they will indeed happen.


Completely agree with this. I've had flashbacks to 2001.

[SpursWoman]

Improbable....not impossible......still, it would be cool.


Yeah, it would. Then maybe they wouldn't have much left for the second half. :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

You're not going to keep them from scoring for the first 6 minutes. It's impossible.

Actually, I'd settle for keeping them from scoring for a 6 minute stretch of the 3rd Quarter.

[Jimcs50]

Actually, I'd settle for keeping them from scoring for a 6 minute stretch of the 3rd Quarter.


I'd settle for them not scoring for a 6 min stretch from the 6 min mark of the 4th Q to the end of the game.


:)

[Jimcs50]

actually I'd settle for the Spurs to not score for 6 mins at the start of game 1 on the WCFs THIS year.


:p:

[SpursWoman]

I agree that we shall see. The 2006 Mavericks weren't exactly the most mentally stable bunch to ever lace up sneakers and play NBA games and those bitches won a Game 7 on the road.


This makes me feel a million times better about tonight. Thanks! :lmao

[SpursChampsIII]

Why does it matter? Just play the game.

It matters for teams who are still playing, but in the Suns' case it was win or go home...they went home. Class dismissed.

:flag:

[xtremesteven33]

i would just love a spurs blowout. blowout the CORNNUTZ by 20 points on thier home floor.

leave NO DOUBT we are the better team

[FromWayDowntown]

actually I'd settle for the Spurs to not score for 6 mins at the start of game 1 on the WCFs THIS year.


:p:


That would be an acceptable bargain for me, too.

[Princess Pimp]

Just to be a wet blanket of sorts, in these playoffs, Javie has called 10 games and the home team has won 7 of the 10:

BOS/ATL - Gm. 1 (@BOS) -- BOS win
DET/PHIL -- Gm. 2 (@ DET) -- DET win
SA/PNX -- Gm. 3 (@ PNX) -- SA win [road win]
NO/DAL -- Gm. 4 (@ DAL) -- NO win [road win]
HOU/UTH -- Gm. 5 (@ HOU) -- HOU win
CLE/WAS -- Gm. 6 (@ WAS) -- CLE win [road win]
DET/ORL -- Gm. 2 (@ DET) -- DET win
NO/SA -- Gm. 3 (@ SA) -- SA win
BOS/CLE -- Gm. 4 (@ CLE ) -- CLE win
LAL/UTH -- Gm. 5 (@ LAL) -- LAL win

So make up your mind idiot!

Is Javie a good official for the Spurs or not?

Fucking whiners.

[Jimcs50]

So make up your mind idiot!

Is Javie a good official for the Spurs or not?

Fucking whiners.


Lick TPark's balls!!!

[FromWayDowntown]

So make up your mind idiot!

Is Javie a good official for the Spurs or not?

Fucking whiners.

If the Spurs don't play well, Javie won't matter.

If the Spurs play well, Javie won't matter.

[GhostofAlfrederickHughes]

Hate to burst anyone's bubble, especially the conspiracy theorists and ref/stat crunchers, but the game will be decided by whether the entire Spurs team shows up for 48 minutes, NOT by the officiating crew.

[TampaDude]

Just to be a wet blanket of sorts, in these playoffs, Javie has called 10 games and the home team has won 7 of the 10:

BOS/ATL - Gm. 1 (@BOS) -- BOS win
DET/PHIL -- Gm. 2 (@ DET) -- DET win
SA/PNX -- Gm. 3 (@ PNX) -- SA win [road win]
NO/DAL -- Gm. 4 (@ DAL) -- NO win [road win]
HOU/UTH -- Gm. 5 (@ HOU) -- HOU win
CLE/WAS -- Gm. 6 (@ WAS) -- CLE win [road win]
DET/ORL -- Gm. 2 (@ DET) -- DET win
NO/SA -- Gm. 3 (@ SA) -- SA win
BOS/CLE -- Gm. 4 (@ CLE ) -- CLE win
LAL/UTH -- Gm. 5 (@ LAL) -- LAL win

The Spurs are 2-0 in these playoffs with Javie...one at home and one on the road. I don't think the refs will be an issue tonight for the Spurs. Just get out there and kick some ass!!!

[Jimcs50]

Hate to burst anyone's bubble, especially the conspiracy theorists and ref/stat crunchers, but the game will be decided by whether the entire Spurs team shows up for 48 minutes, NOT by the officiating crew.

*bubble busting*


:depressed

[TampaDude]

Hate to burst anyone's bubble, especially the conspiracy theorists and ref/stat crunchers, but the game will be decided by whether the entire Spurs team shows up for 48 minutes, NOT by the officiating crew.

Right...but at least with this crew, the Spurs won't be playing 5 on 8 tonight... :lol

[DarrinS]

Steve Javie
Dick Bavetta
Scott Foster

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html


Having both Javie and Bavetta is a wash. These two will cancel each other out.


Javie goes out of his way to tune out the home crowd, while Bavetta is a bit of a suck up to the team with HCA.

[ElNono]

If the Spurs don't play well, Javie won't matter.

If the Spurs play well, Javie won't matter.

If the FTA differential is over +10, then refs do matter. You can't defend those points and you can't get them back. Hence Pop bitching about that 3rd quarter in Game 5. It's unfortunate, but the home cooking in these playoffs have been over the top. I recall 2 plays from the Boston vs Cavs series that stand out about this. Game 6, waning moments, Pierce drives and Lebron draws a charge when he: a) did not have position. b) was still moving and basically bumped sideways into Pierce. The other one was the last quarter of Game 7, where anytime Pierce was double teamed, they basically started calling ticky tacky fouls, and sent the Celts to the line over and over again.

Here's hoping we'll have a sharp shooting night tonight, and we won't need to get too physical, otherwise I can already see Bavetta making the ticky tacky calls.

[LakerLanny]

It is hysterical to hear people say the refs don't matter or factor into the outcome.

The painful reality is other than injuries, that is the single biggest factor in the outcome of any NBA game. I wish it weren't so, but it is.

Let's just hope they rise to the occassion and we see an impartially officiated Game 7....as bad and biased as they are, often Game 7's are surprisingly well officiated as the NBA has already got what they want (max revenue and ratings) by getting it to a Game 7 in the first place.

[mrspurs]

if the refs decide this game.......i will no longer watch the nba...just like i dont buy the paper cos of buck harvey....and if i dont watch the nba it will be until the refs are held accountable during the games....not after....refs shouldnt be allowed back into the league once they have had personal problems with nba players, coaches etc..(crawford)...to allow a ref back into the league is cheating imo....go spurs go

[G-Nob]

Thanks for the stats, FWD.
With this year's playoff home records, I would think a majority of the officials could say the same.

[Jimcs50]

if the refs decide this game.......i will no longer watch the nba...


If the Spurs win because of poor officiating, I will not give a rat's ass.

:p:

[easjer]

:lmao

FWD said bitches.

:lmao



****

Seriously, though, officials can and do impact a game. A good team will adjust and play above the calls. But several bad fouls can pull a key player from the court. Ignoring obvious fouls allows unnecessarily rough play and keeps a key player on the court.

I'm satisfied that these officials will call a pretty fair game. That is a relief.

Now, the Spurs have to go out there and play it like they want to win it. It's all on them.

[carrecaminos]

what, the area between your ears?

Says the dude that doesn't know how to use the search feature before posting.

Your question was answered an hour before you posted this, in another thread with the same title.

[1Parker1]

I agree that we shall see. The 2006 Mavericks weren't exactly the most mentally stable bunch to ever lace up sneakers and play NBA games and those bitches won a Game 7 on the road.

:lmao :lmao :tu

[LavaLamp]

Spurs Fans, Hornets Fans and all NBA Fans,

I just came back from the future to tell you about Game 7. Fisrt of all, it was an amazing game to watch. A very enjoyable... hard-fought game.

And I know you want to know who won... so here it is.

*static*...*noise*...*garbled words*

And that's how it ended. See you at the WCF!

[SpursWoman]

If the Spurs win because of poor officiating, I will not give a rat's ass.

:p:


Me, neither. :lol :lol

[G-Nob]

Spurs Fans, Hornets Fans and all NBA Fans,

I just came back from the future to tell you about Game 7. Fisrt of all, it was an amazing game to watch. A very enjoyable... hard-fought game.

And I know you want to know who won... so here it is.

*static*...*noise*...*garbled words*

And that's how it ended. See you at the WCF!

That means we won?

[ducks]

I just hope the refs have the guts to call a foul on the hornets with 2.3 seconds on the clock in a game 7 like in 2006 when they did that to the spurs!

[timvp]

I will gladly take an asterisk victory tonight. I don't care if Hugo the Hornet accidentally tumbles onto the court to give the Spurs a game winning technical free throw. I don't care if Donaghy has to come out of retirement. Whatever it takes.

[austinlakepirate]

For those of you that are new to the league Here's the conspiracy---

The NBA has a lot at stake with advertisers and networks, and as a business they do whatever they can get away with to make money.

The more playoff games, the more money. The bigger the city (market) the more fans a team has, thus higher television ratings, better merchandising sales. It's in the league's interest to have the marque names like Kobe and James to play as long into the season as possible- easier to promote a game to casual fans during playoff time - higher ratings.

So some feel that the referees are instructed to manipulate the outcome of games in the leagues favor.

[Solid D]

Only 1 Circle of 7 Fixer Ref: Steve Jobbie

Bavetta misses lots of calls but then provides lots of make up calls the other way and it usually will even out.

Foster is not very good, but does not appear to be a biased official.

Current Circle of 7 Fixer List:

Steve Jobbie, Bennett "The Rat" Salvatore, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies, Bob Delaney, Kenny "Slick" Mauer and of course Joey Crawford.

http://content6.flixster.com/photo/67/39/60/6739600_gal.jpg

"Well, it's a well known fact, Sonny Jim, that there's a secret society of the five wealthiest people in the world, known as The Pentavirate, who run everything in the world, including the newspapers, and meet tri-annually at a secret country mansion in Colorado, known as The Meadows.

"So who's in this Pentavirate?"

"The Queen, The Vatican, The Gettys, The Rothschilds, *and* Colonel Sanders before he went teets up. Oh, I hated the Colonel with his wee *beady* eyes, and that smug look on his face. "Oh, you're gonna buy my chicken! Ohhhhh!"

"....how can you hate "The Colonel"?"

"Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly...."