We aren't high...

by AusTechSpur on May 14, 2008 10:21 AM CDT

...Charley Rosen even thinks the Spurs were not getting calls last night.

For things not Phil Jackson, I think Charley will give you a pretty straight analysis.

Speaking of fouls.

This was certainly a hard-hitting contest with the Hornets achieving a much higher slugging percentage than the visiting Spurs.

Because their shots weren't falling, the Spurs concentrated on driving the ball to the hoop, yet they were awarded only 18 free throws (one of which was created by a deliberate ploy in the endgame so that Scott could get his scrubs into the game) compared to 33 by the Hornets. Despite both Duncan (one free throw) and Parker (five FTs) being routinely bumped, hacked and downright clobbered, the refs mostly sucked on their whistles until the Hornets had the ball.

It's called the home-court advantage.

(And by the way, the visiting team has the final say in positioning its players along the foul-lane when free throws are in the offing. Meaning that Joey Crawford erred in nailing both teams with delay-of-game warnings when the Hornets kept playing switcharoo in trying to match up Chandler with Duncan.)

See the second half game thread for more discussion on the way the refs called the game.

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why was poppovich arguing over a delay of game call that went against both teams to the point that he was t’d up? what is the penalty for a delay of game? oh thats right—nothing.

by 9wd softhead on May 14, 2008 10:58 AM CDT 0 recs

i think it’s pretty clear that joey crawford has a problem with the spurs, and the spurs have a problem with joey crawford. not the most diplomatic i’ve seen ole scarface, but he was justified in being upset. maybe not as heated as he got, but we don’t know what crawford said back to pop, either. he did poke him in the chest, and i think the tech came when pop pushed his hand away.

you ain't a beauty but hey you're all right.

by kalone on May 14, 2008 11:56 AM CDT 0 recs

there was plenty of contact and there were alot of questionable calls that went both ways, but when the spurs are playing with crawford as the ref, it seems to get a little bit magnified by both the media and the fans. spurs shot the ball well in the first half. shot the ball like piss in the second half and crawford had no hand in that.

by 9wd softhead on May 14, 2008 2:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

part of shooting is shaking a defender, and that gets tougher when a defender is holding, pushing and slapping. i’m not saying the refs decided the game. no official decides a game because no game is dependent on a single play.

had the spurs gotten some more rebounds, they might’ve won. had the spurs hit some late shots, they might’ve won.

but, officials can decide momentum. they can give it and take it. unfortunately, the spurs didn’t have the cliched “mental toughness” to get over the tough calls in this one. we can blame the spurs for that. we can blame the refs, too, but ultimately that’s what makes basketball a compelling sport, the will to not give up. maybe the spurs didn’t have that tuesday.

it might be worth noting the spurs shot 18 FTA and the hornets had 33 FTA. but probably not.

you ain't a beauty but hey you're all right.

by kalone on May 14, 2008 3:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

More in the 2nd 1/2 thread

I’ll put here what I put in there quote wise because I feel it pertains to this post as well … It’s from Mr. Hollinger on ESPN’s Daily Dime….

“As a result of West’s inspired effort and the Spurs’ uninspired third quarter, this was the fifth straight one-sided win by the home team in this series. So instead of late-game drama, we had to settle for the early-game fireworks between Popovich and Joey Crawford.

Popovich was furious over a first-quarter delay of game violation - yes, really - that he felt was called in error, and he let Crawford know about it in no uncertain terms. Crawford, as is his reputation, didn’t back down, and replays seemed to show him poking a finger in Popovich’s chest.

The scene ended with Pop getting a technical and several players being needed to restrain him from picking up a second. Crawford also drew a lengthy, Sheed-like glare from Duncan after a late loose-ball call right before the Spurs sent in the scrubs; it’s probably fortunate for everyone that Crawford had his back turned.

Nonetheless, the Spurs’ issues with this particular referee once again seem very much alive, and it seemed to spread to the other players—San Antonio invested a lot of time lobbying for calls.

“I think we got worried about the refs way too much,” said Ginobili. “We’ve just got to let Pop do that. That’s his job.”

When the media widely accepts that one team has a problem with a ref and vice versa and the storyline of the game isn’t just that the Hornets won but the fact that the Spurs and Crawford were at odds with each other all night, well that never bodes well…. Here’s to the Spurs crushing them in Game 6-it’s happened 2x already-and hopefully getting Steve Javie for Game 7 :)

by Nixiack on May 14, 2008 11:57 AM CDT 0 recs

the only media opinion that i would ever listen to on NBA matters is Charley Rosen. He’s an Ace.

True that we didnt get some calls last night, but I’m more upset about the 28-11 3rd quarter, in part, fueled by something 7 offensive rebounds for the NOOCH in the quarter.

by bones on May 14, 2008 1:18 PM CDT 0 recs

I agree that Rosen is usally pretty good. I also like Dr. Jack Ramsey.

Hopefully the Spurs can pretend it’s the 1st quarter or the 4th quarter in the 3rd.

by VWolf on May 14, 2008 4:04 PM CDT 0 recs

I still don’t understand the thinking of the league in scheduling Crawford for ANY San Antonio playoff game; especially a big one. I mean, seriously? If anything, avoid it to avoid a potential controversy (see: now) or potential conspiracy theories! Are we that starved for middle-aged men who can run for 48 minutes straight while effectively carrying forth an agenda??

There was only two games scheduled last night, and only 4 series going on at this point. You need three officials per game. At most, factoring travel, that’s a pool of approx. 15 officials. “Let’s see, we need a third guy. Let’s send Joey, the biggest head case of all of our refs and the one who has had several highly publicized conflicts with one of the teams playing in the game, to officiate one of the biggest games of the year. That’ll work. Especially since we can no longer use that Donaghy guy.”

Joey was the best you could come up with, really?! Further proof to me of inept leadership in the NBA.

by SgtinManusArmy on May 14, 2008 5:43 PM CDT 0 recs

or it could be them trying to favor the hornets for better ratings. cause despite what suns fans say, stern does NOT want the spurs to be successful considering the ratings we pull

What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post

by Hamer_SpursFan on May 14, 2008 6:50 PM CDT up 0 recs

I knew Joey would fuck up the game from the beginning.

by Linix129 on May 14, 2008 9:13 PM CDT 0 recs

Stern obviously has no love for the Spurs

I remember the 90s Bulls had the same situation with ref Hue Hollins, who always had a bullshit agenda against the team. Joey Crawford obviously hates Duncan, which is odd considering I don’t think anyone could hate him

Rusty Longley v 2.0

by Ozzie Montana on May 15, 2008 12:57 AM CDT 0 recs

Funny thing…I watched the beginning of the games tonight (sadly Javie reffed the Lakers game) and both sets of refs were all smiles and waving when they introduced them. Last night Crawford’s 2 helpers were smiling but he looked like something crawled up him and died, all pissed off and such. Ugh. Can’t the man ever smile ? :D See? Not that hard :p I think though that they should have just expelled him when they had a chance. No sport needs a ref that is openly biased or opinionated about 1 or more teams. It limits how the business is run, and it sets a bad example for people watching said sport.

We’ll take Game 6, that’s a given….if anything the NBA is LOVING this series, as aside from the Boston/Cleveland series (which will go 7 as well) this is the most hyped/talked about/etc series, passing even the Lakers/Jazz series. Parker and Duncan were downright livid last night, and Ginobili will continue his tear through the Hornets now that he’s feeling 100%. I guarantee you those no calls on Duncan will BE calls in SA. :)

GO SPURS GO!!

by Nixiack on May 15, 2008 1:27 AM CDT 0 recs