Bulls

[TallTitan34]

For those of you who watched the Bulls game last night, did anyone else think the refs let the game get out of hand?  The Pacers were fouling Derrick Rose very hard whenever he shot the ball.  Even on three pointers they foulded him hard.  Most of the time they aren't even going for the ball.  Couple that with Foster's elbow to Deng's head and I think the refs completely let the game get out of hand.

With Derrick driving the lane, would anyone rule this a jump ball?  Last night they did.

[77ncaachamps]

In the worldly balance of fouls, the refs giveth and taketh away.

As if DRose wasn't a recipient of friendly fouls...

Players just have to produce when they get the ball in their hand. Much like DRose did with that GW layup.

[MerrittsMustache]

The NBA hates 4-game sweeps. They're bad for business.

That said, I have no idea how they didn't call a flagrant foul when Angelina Jolie's creepy older brother elbowed Deng. That was ridiculous.

[NavinRJohnson]

OMG.  The Pacers are in the playoffs? Thanks for reminding me why I don't watch the NBA.

[TallTitan34]

The Bulls aren't complaining this is just me.  Coach Tibs said it's playoff basketball and Derrick said thats why he works out in the offseason to build up his strength.

I don't mind hard fouls.  You should foul hard to make sure the guy doesn't make the basket.  But the Pacers aren't even going for the ball.  They are wrapping their arms around guys in the air and throwing elbows to the head.

It's just ridiciolus that the Pacers are getting away with cheap shots with nothing to lose.  

[🏀]

OMG.  The Pacers are in the playoffs? Thanks for reminding me why I don't watch the NBA.

Pacers were probably the best team in the NBA the last few weeks of the season, and have played the Bulls tough every game. Very underrated team.

That being said, Derrick Rose is getting raped out there. If the refs aren't calling the fouls now, I don't think Derrick makes it out of the series with the Magic alive.

[PaintTouches]

http://www.youtube.com/v/aYUsoeLydsA

Here's the video of the Foster elbow to Rose's mug.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

Could have been a lot worse....not really that bad in my opinion

[HoopsMalone]

The refs are letting the series get out of hand.  If you are Indiana, why not hammer Rose and Deng when they drive into the paint?  It worries me that the Pacers have gotten away with so much and now have even less to lose in game 4 by knocking players out. 

[RawdogDX]

Especially since Indiana came into the series telling everyone what they were going to do.

The have been pretty good since the coaching change.

[TallTitan34]

Could have been a lot worse....not really that bad in my opinion

The elbow to Deng was worse.

[jesmu84]

David Stern agrees

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=6409539

[PaintTouches]

http://www.youtube.com/v/3L57dfe9Pco

This one is inexcusable. Blatant cheap shot elbow.

[TallTitan34]

Thoughts on this one DJO's Pump Fake?

[muhoosier260]

David Stern agrees

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=6409539

from this article:

"That's his job," Rose said. "But you have to stand up to it. I was just trying to go to the basket and create contact."

Hey D-Rose, if you go to the basket trying to create contact, you should probably expect contact! Good grief, just take care of business and get on with it.

This is more about the Bulls winning unconvincingly -twice at home- to the team with the worst record in the playoffs, and less about questionable calls. Bulls can't take care of business so the game gets chippy b/c its close, welcome to the sport of basketball Bulls, this is nothing new.

[PaintTouches]

This is more about the Bulls winning unconvincingly -twice at home- to the team with the worst record in the playoffs, and less about questionable calls. Bulls can't take care of business so the game gets chippy b/c its close, welcome to the sport of basketball Bulls, this is nothing new.

Nah, the NBA upgraded both fouls to Flagrant-1 fouls. They were dirty hits.
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=6409539

[muhoosier260]

Nah, the NBA upgraded both fouls to Flagrant-1 fouls. They were dirty hits.
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=6409539

I quoted the article, so I saw the upgrade to flagrant foul, thanks though. The one on deng was questionable, but Rose? C'mon. Foster shuffles over, Rose is flying in, contact. In fact it looks like Foster is bracing for impact, not swinging his elbow like some are making it out to be. (p.s. I'm not a pacers fan, despite my handle)

[wadesworld]

I really do agree on the Rose foul.  I don't see anything dirty about it.  Is it a hard foul?  Yup.  Is it a good foul?  Absolutely.  If Rose is going to try to dunk on 7 footers he should expect to get knocked around in the playoffs.  This isn't the regular season where one basket no longer matters so teams will let you make those highlight plays.  The Pacers SHOULD foul Rose hard if he has a chance to dunk the ball.  Don't give him an and-1 and make him earn the 2 points at the line.  Doesn't allow a big-play momentum swing either.  If Rose doesn't want the contact, stop driving.  If there was contact above the head, a punch or an elbow, then yes, it is dirty and unacceptable.  But there is nothing there.  He doesn't even get knocked on his ass, he lands on his feet.  Rose has gone after guys 3 times in 3 games for fouls where he landed on his feet.  It's the playoffs.  No easy baskets anymore.

The Deng one, there is contact above the head and an elbow.  Not acceptable.  Not a good foul.

[PaintTouches]

  If there was contact above the head, a punch or an elbow, then yes, it is dirty and unacceptable. 

Does this qualify as above the body?

[brewcity77]

That being said, Derrick Rose is getting raped out there. If the refs aren't calling the fouls now, I don't think Derrick makes it out of the series with the Magic alive.

That's assuming the Magic make it into the series with the Bulls. Atlanta looks like they're on their way to a 2-1 lead.

[muhoosier260]

Does this qualify as above the body?

looks like a slow white guy with his hands up, shuffling laterally, colliding with a smaller player who is quicker than he is.

[muhoosier260]

on a side note, jeff foster is making $1.1M more than Rose this season, wow

[Markusquette]

No respect for cheating Rose anyway

[JWags85]

No respect for cheating Rose anyway

Honestly, as much as I hate Calipari and Memphis, I'm not gonna keep holding stuff that Rose did as a 17 year old kid against him. He has been nothing but class since he entered the league and is a fantastic role model at this point in a league lacking in them. Dude used to have stomach aches before games at Memphis cause his diet consisted of gummi bears and chips. He was clearly immature and over his head. The progress he has made is nothing short of astounding, on an off the court

[MarquetteBamaFan]

No respect for cheating Rose anyway

Do you know how many college bball players cheat to get into school?  The majority of these guys have cheated in at least one of these three ways.  1. Cheated in high school to get respectable grades or had teachers cover for them whenever bad grades happened.  2. Faulty standardized test scores to push these kids into college.  3. Cheating in college or having "tutors" do all their work for them.  I'm not saying it's right to cheat, but to single out Rose for this alone is wrong. Especially because he's conducted himself very well in the league and doesn't prance around like lebron and d wade.  So hate Rose all you want, but then you open yourself up to hating a bunch of bball players, including many of Marquette's own.