Quote from OPTIONAL777:
Nah, the refs aren't biased at all.
In today's farce, we have the following statistics:
Spurs:
Personal Fouls: 31 Made Free Throws/Attempts: 20-26
Shooting % 33-74 .446
Assists: 18
Turnovers: 14
Rebounds: 41
Lakers:
Personal Fouls: 26 Made Free Throws/Attemps: 35-45
Shooting % 28-71 .394
Assists: 14
Turnovers: 13
Rebounds: 42
Quite seriously, I am tiring of watching the poor and clearly biased refs from either side, whether it favors the Lakers, Kings, Mavs, or Spurs.
No consistency at all.
I never remember the refs being an issue in the Showtime days, and I think the players subconsciously feel they can't win on the Lakers home floor because they know the Lakers will get the calls.
It is ruining the game.
I am finding it boring. In a close game, it is the refs who are determing the outcome.....feels just like WWF to me.
Yeah, I was watching, too, when the one ref couldn't get the ball in and instead threw it into the other ref's hands. I also loved the way that the refs hit the ground to grab loose balls.
The Showtime Lakers used to get a lot more throws than the opposition, too, in critical games - usually against teams that didn't have their inside game, or that tried to stay in contention by playing brutal vs. the Lakers, who at that time had a deserved reputation as a (mostly) finesse team.
I think what you found boring is that the Lakers won. I suspect it must also have been very painful for you to see the Spurs reduced to fouling Kobe and Shaq over and over rather than letting them have concession baskets.
How many more times did Kobe or Shaq take it to the rim than anyone on the Spurs? I can hardly remember more than a handful of attempts by the Spurs to drive the lane. From the 2nd Quarter on, the Spurs were playing passively, and the Lakers were playing aggressively: The Spurs didn't get into a position to get any calls, and, when they were in a position to get calls, the presumption was against them.
Never underestimate the stent of a champion.