I wholeheartedly agree with Timvp's post. I know he and I both search for any other reason besides the refs that caused the Spurs to lose, but fact of the matter is the refs were directly responsible for the Spurs losing at LEAST one of those games, most likely both.
The referees were absolutely egregious in Games 3 and 4. If it was the other way around, and the Spurs were the benefactor, I would hate winning like that. You obviously take the win, but I'd rather my team win on their own accord rather than the refs gift wrapped the game.
I've held off writing the following, but I slept on Game 3 and it's been a few nights since Game 2 so I feel like I've given it proper respective thought.
I know it's been mentioned that Cuban has had his hand influencing in the refs through complaining, and I believe that to be true. However, I also believe the NBA either wants an extended series, wants the Mavericks to win, and/or wants the Spurs out.
I know that's pretty far out there, but I believe it. I believe it because I see it with my eyes. I intently watched both of the games and the replays and I watch the referees going out of their way to give super favorable calls to the Mavs and on the flip side of the coin, ignore making the same call when the same situation presents itself for the Spurs.
The Spurs are trying to fight through the calls and just play basketball, but it's impossible when they don't balance out. It has raised the Spurs game to even higher levels, but no team can beat the Mavs and the refs at the same time.
This is not to take away from how the Mavericks are playing. Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, and Devin Harris have all been outstanding offensively. Diop has done a decent job on Duncan.
My point is not against the Mavs because the Mavs are playing great playoff basketball and are doing what any team in their position would do - take the calls and be on the offensive. My point is that the NBA and control freak David Stern have cost the Spurs two possible playoff wins and are sullying the game's good name by tampering with the calls.
These games would have been fantastic without all the bull calls. There is no need to adjust them unless you have an agenda.
Here is what I believe the referees are doing:
During the course of the game, they call it fairly regularly. Calls go both ways, balance out etc. Maybe a bad call for the Spurs, a bad call for the Mavs. However, they throw in a kink into the balance out system. Say for example in Game 1, they are unusually non-chalant about handing out Duncan fouls or in Game 2, how all of a sudden they were searching for anything that might be considered a travel violation. Let me be the first to admit that the Spurs travel a lot. Still, 1) you can't all of a sudden decide to correct every extra step the Spurs have been taking all season in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals, when they and other teams have been guilty of traveling violations all season and 2) you can't be so intent on finding travels that you see them even when they are not there.
Ok, so you take care of the first three quarters or so and now the game is in the balance. Now, the referees are looking to ensure the Mavericks have every chance to stay close or take the lead without being too obvious. So they throw the Spurs a bone or two. Maybe the Spurs shouldn't even have got the call, but this way after the game people can say it went both ways.
What has been accomplished is via the referees, the Mavericks have been given the best possible chance to win the game. Obviously, you can't just post ghost points on the scoreboard and sound the buzzer to end the game so the Spurs will have a chance as long as they are on the floor, but what has happened is it has become very improbable the Spurs will win and very improbable the Mavs will lose.
Unfortunately for the NBA and David Stern, the referees are doing a horrible job selling the calls and picking the right time to call them. When Dirk was tripped out of bounds, the referee had to stare at Dirk on the floor for 3 seconds after the play to call a foul. Why? When Tony got tripped and the ball fell out of bounds, the referee looked at the players inexplicably, paused, and then pointed to Mavs ball.
When did the legendary tough, physical NBA playoff basketball translate into a hand check foul with 8 seconds in the game?
How did it seem logical for one referee to anticipate a call on Manu for double dribbling, blowing his whistle amidst the Spurs obviously retaining the ball, and then the referees huddle together and call jump ball?
Everything balances out right on both sides right? Then how come the time the referees blow a call in the Spurs favor Tony's shot hitting the rim, they give it right back to the Mavs and call an offensive foul on Duncan one second after the inbounds?
What's scary is how little they used to justify that offensive foul. David Stern's version of the script didn't have them being that obvious with the foul or the make-up call.
If David Stern was really in search of the best referees and ensuring only the best for the integrity of his league, he would most assuredly get rid of Bavetta. Why is this guy still reffing the most important games in the playoffs? He is an absolutely horrid referee.
Any fan of any team can account for how many calls he misses/makes up. The guy should be retired. He's 66. He is eligible for full Social Security benefits. It is a proven fact that his physical tools and skills to referee have naturally declined due to age. It doesn't matter how cute he thinks he is or how alive he feels when refereeing a big game. He shouldn't be doing it according to Stern's pursuit of what is best for the game. You could even ask one Jerry Stackhouse if he agrees. But, alas he is a puppet for Stern. Bavetta probably sold out a long time ago for a little grease on his palm. Perhaps a guarantee of longevity or more lucrative package for senior referees in exchange for a few well placed calls. Probably didn't start out big, but it ended as a nice way for the control freak to have a say on and off the court.
Concluding, I want to add that I didn't even think the Spurs would make it to the NBA Finals before the playoffs. I didn't think they deserved to after the poor showing they made during the regular season. I don't know if they do right now. What I do know is they deserve better than having to play in conditioned games where they have to make up 6 more points than they normally would because the referees are jobbing them.
I, as a fan of the game and the Spurs, feel robbed when I watch a team's field goals get matched point for point with free throws in the last 8 minutes of the fourth quarter. If the Spurs lost because they didn't match the Mavericks, that's fine and after the series I'll start thinking how the Spurs need to make some offseason moves. But it's unfair to have to think of what might have been because of the referees pulling the game to the Mavs.
The most disgusting thing about it is it's plain of day. If you're a Maverick fan and you want to say the Spurs fans are being babies or hypocritical or whatever, go ahead, but in the back of your mind you know the Mavericks had a lot of help. If nothing else, look to Popovich's quotes. Here's a man who has never even acknowledged the referees existance and now had to admit there are somethings you can't control. What do you think those things are?
In the basketball world, complaining about the referees is a sin. Yeah, we are complained about the calls, but to you Mavs fans that are trying to play the high road card and parroting "but Josh Howard's block was clean," - we'll see you in .
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I'll agree with that.
