Heat/Spurs Game 6

[Tugg Speedman]

I don't have a rooting interest so I'm watching the game dispassionately.  

I hated the fourth quarter and OT.  Everyone was getting mugged and nothing was called, both ways.  Whoever decided not calling fouls when the game is on the line needs to rethink this.  It just makes for bad and ugly basketball.

[flash]

I don't have a rooting interest so I'm watching the game dispassionately.  

I hated the fourth quarter and OT.  Everyone was getting mugged and nothing was called, both ways.  Whoever decided not calling fouls when the game is on the line needs to rethink this.  It just makes for bad and ugly basketball.

I've got no real issue with referees swallowing the whistle in the end of games.  Let the players decide... it has to be that way on both sides though.  I didn't think this was the best officiated game, but it made for one of the most entertaining games NBA games I've ever seen. 

[wojosdojo]

I've got no real issue with referees swallowing the whistle in the end of games.  Let the players decide... it has to be that way on both sides though.  I didn't think this was the best officiated game, but it made for one of the most entertaining games NBA games I've ever seen. 

Yeah, and it also allowed the Heat / Allstar team to win. I thought the game was officiated FAIR, but you can't say they should swallow their whistles on Ginobili's last drive.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yeah, and it also allowed the Heat / Allstar team to win. I thought the game was officiated FAIR, but you can't say they should swallow their whistles on Ginobili's last drive.

Goes both ways, Lebron was fouled going to the hoop by Green...instead that blown call gives the ball over to the Spurs.  Can't believe I actually watched 8 minutes of NBA basketball tonight. 

[wadesworld]

Goes both ways, Lebron was fouled going to the hoop by Green...instead that blown call gives the ball over to the Spurs.  Can't believe I actually watched 8 minutes of NBA basketball tonight. 

Couldn't disagree more. LeBron first pushed Green back with his left forearm, then elbowed him, and then Green stripped LeBron clean. Cannot for the life of me believe that LeBron was complaining about that call. It's unreal.

As far as the Ginobili foul, I think it's a good no call. Those 2 could have a competition for best flopped in any sport.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Couldn't disagree more. LeBron first pushed Green back with his left forearm, then elbowed him, and then Green stripped LeBron clean. Cannot for the life of me believe that LeBron was complaining about that call. It's unreal.

As far as the Ginobili foul, I think it's a good no call. Those 2 could have a competition for best flopped in any sport.

In my view, LeBron is the aggressor and Green got into him long before LeBron pushed.  The whole time Green was backtracking with his feet, usually that is called on the defensive player.  Green got some ball, also got him on the arm, etc.

As for Ginobli, after watching him take 4 to 5 steps and then complain about the non-foul I was quickly jolted into remembering why the NBA game is just not that fun to watch for me...yet tonight's game (the few minutes I watched) were actually a lot of fun, but it's the obscene way in which some of the rules are just so totally ignored that brings it down for me.

[forgetful]

Yeah, and it also allowed the Heat / Allstar team to win. I thought the game was officiated FAIR, but you can't say they should swallow their whistles on Ginobili's last drive.

Did you also note that Ginobili took 3-steps.  So if a whistle was blown I'd go with the travel. 

I actually did think the game was relatively poorly officiated on the individual basis.  3 or 4 of Wade's drives he was hammered and no call, meanwhile Lebron often got phantom calls (compared to other calls they let go)...other calls all the way around were just ignored. 

As a whole though I think the missed calls were balanced across both teams and the refs did a good job of keeping everything even.

Bottom line...Great game to watch.

[Sunbelt15]

As a whole though I think the missed calls were balanced across both teams and the refs did a good job of keeping everything even.

Bottom line...Great game to watch.

+1. Awesome game!

[Tugg Speedman]

+1. Awesome game!

Drive, hack miss
Drive, hack miss
Drive, travel miss

Why was this a good game to watch?  Because everyone was mugged on every play and could not make a basket so the score stayed close?

It was the worst of the NBA and a showcase of why the sport cannot return to its
Jordan era popularity.

[MerrittsMustache]

I've got no real issue with referees swallowing the whistle in the end of games.  Let the players decide... it has to be that way on both sides though.  I didn't think this was the best officiated game, but it made for one of the most entertaining games NBA games I've ever seen. 

I never understood the "let the players decide it" argument when officials swallow the whistle and it potentially affects the outcome. Ginobili was clearly fouled on a potential championship-winning drive to the basket but there was no call. In what way was that letting the players decide it?

[Spotcheck Billy]

funny reading the wide range of opinions about the game from great game to the NBA sucks


for the record I thought Green made a great defensive play and ginobli took steps (but what's new?)

[hairy worthen]

Goes both ways, Lebron was fouled going to the hoop by Green...instead that blown call gives the ball over to the Spurs.  Can't believe I actually watched 8 minutes of NBA basketball tonight. 

wrong, look at it again.

[LAMUfan]

I like the NBA, but the no call on manu and on the 3 at the buzzer (holy s... he landed in his lap) made me question why I watched that game at all.  Totally killed the excitement for me, kind of feel cheated (Lakers fan, so I don't like either team, and I know they miss calls all the time and they don't call travelling... ever... but clearly not making calls on purpose at the end of the game)  I just don't care about game 7 anymore.    

[real chili 83]

I went to bed with about a minute left, with the Heat down, and looking like they had ZERO chance to pull this one out.  Damn.

I blame this on Legs.  He was not there to remind me that this was doable.

[MerrittsMustache]

I like the NBA, but the no call on manu and on the 3 at the buzzer (holy s... he landed in his lap) made me question why I watched that game at all.  Totally killed the excitement for me, kind of feel cheated (Lakers fan, so I don't like either team, and I know they miss calls all the time and they don't call travelling... ever... but clearly not making calls on purpose at the end of the game)  I just don't care about game 7 anymore.    

I feel the same way. I'm expecting the Heat to win in a route.

[Marquette Gyros]

No talk of the Allen stepback 3 with time running out to send it to OT? That was fracking insane.

[martyconlonontherun]

The reffing wasn't the greatest, but college refs are just as bad, if not worse. I don't understand why college fans hate the NBA playoffs when you got the best players in the world playing their hardest. The defense and team offense the Spurs have put together has just been beautiful. The amount of talent on both ends are just incredible. There's 8 guys on each team that could take over a game.

LeBron has to be the hardest player to ref since Shaq. He is just so much more athletic that it is hard to tell if he's using his weight too much or just that the other players can't physically hold up to him.

Except for Wade and LeBron, who whine too much, the court is full of some of the hardest working and classiest players you'll find. I could watch Tim Duncan and Ray Allen all day.

[jsglow]

I actually thought the officiating was reasonable.  One must understand that what is considered acceptable in the NBA isn't the same in college and most of us here are primarily college basketball fans.

And props to Ray Allen.  That was one helluva shot.

[GGGG]

I actually thought the officiating was reasonable.  One must understand that what is considered acceptable in the NBA isn't the same in college and most of us here are primarily college basketball fans.

This.

That was basically the end of any NBA playoff game.  That is how it's has been for years....including the Jordan era. 

The story isn't the refs.  The story is how an experienced team with an experienced coach absolutely choked that game away.  Honestly, Tim Duncan needs to be on the floor in both of those 3 point situations.  How could you *not* have one of the best players in the league's history on the floor there? 

[GGGG]

It was the worst of the NBA and a showcase of why the sport cannot return to its
Jordan era popularity.

*That* was the worst of the NBA?  Honestly if you believe that, you simply aren't an NBA fan.  That was an incredibly intense game.  That may have been one of the best NBA finals games I have ever seen.

And do you honestly think the refs would have called that any differently during the Jordan era?  If not, you have way too rosy a view about the history of NBA refereeing.

[Golden Avalanche]

Yeah, and it also allowed the Heat / Allstar team to win. I thought the game was officiated FAIR, but you can't say they should swallow their whistles on Ginobili's last drive.

It's funny how people who only want to complain about the Heat never seem to acknowledge the Spurs are fielding three
Hall-of-Famers and currently employ a forgettable role player who is putting on the best shooting performance in the history of the Association. All-Stars reside in South Texas too.

[GGGG]

It's funny how people who only want to complain about the Heat never seem to acknowledge the Spurs are fielding three
Hall-of-Famers and currently employ a forgettable role player who is putting on the best shooting performance in the history of the Association. All-Stars reside in South Texas too.

Not to mention that Ginobili traveled....and the incredibly bogus offensive foul called on Lebron late in the fourth quarter. 

[NavinRJohnson]

And do you honestly think the refs would have called that any differently during the Jordan era?  If not, you have way too rosy a view about the history of NBA refereeing.

This is right. I don't watch much NBA, other than playoffs, but the officials made it clear they weren't going to call anything and the players responded accordingly with their aggressiveness. Most of the calls being discussed would have been called in a regular season game, but to their credit they treated them all the same. Hell, Duncan cleared out Bosh at one point, and put him on the ground, and there was no call. They let it get physical, so the players just got more physical, and at that point the skunk was out of the box and there wasn't anything the refs were going to be able to do about it. It was a great game to watch.

[NavinRJohnson]

The story isn't the refs.  The story is how an experienced team with an experienced coach absolutely choked that game away.  Honestly, Tim Duncan needs to be on the floor in both of those 3 point situations.  How could you *not* have one of the best players in the league's history on the floor there? 

Agree and disagree. He should have been out there on the Allen shot, but I can't say they choked it away. leBron just friggin took over that game in the 4th quarter and almost single handedly got the Heat back in it.

[GGGG]

Agree and disagree. He should have been out there on the Allen shot, but I can't say they choked it away. leBron just friggin took over that game in the 4th quarter and almost single handedly got the Heat back in it.

Choke is a strong word I know...but I am including Popovich in that because I think that was a terrible coaching decision.