Mavs vs Heat / Refs?

[Vlaude]

Have the Mavs been playing the Heat and refs in a couple of the games in Miami. I'm not a big fan of either team. Started cheering for the Mavs, then when it was 2-0 for the Heat hoping Miami would pull out that 3rd game to make a series of it. Though some questionable calls I thought in that game, especially with the lost time! Then game 5 and it was like the refs were out to make sure Miami gets this game. Are the refs really that bad, or are the Mavs that bad that they have send a guy to shoot more free-throws than the entire Mavs team. I saw Devon Harris take it to the rim 3 times that I recall, where he was bumped around pretty good. Twice to the ground that I recall, and no call. Shaq bounced him to the ground with his body and no whistle. Then on the other end a pinky gets caught in his jersey or D. Wade pushes off to create space and then comes back at 3 defenders all of which are playing good D with really no contact to speak of and the whistle is blown! IMO its these Bogus calls for star players that makes me think of the NBA like the WWF.

I guess the bigger question to me is - "Are the refs calling the games in favor of home or down teams in an attempt to make a longer series?" After some of these calls I am seriously questioning it. Maybe I'm wrong... But this isn't the first year this has happened...

[cololi]

I think it goes both ways, it is just the timing that makes it suspicious. Plus, I think it is impossible not to be a little one sided when you have 20,000 people wathcing your every move. I can't stand Mark Cuban, so wathcing his pity party is the best thing I have seen in the NBA in years. Stars will always get the calls. I still fume over MJ's push off on his last shot to win the finals against the Jazz, but Jazz players were the beneficiarias of many bad calls.

Still, Dallas has kind of put themselves in the situation. Blowing a 13 point 4th quarter lead in game 3, stackhouse, having two players call time out with a second left.

[imaplanner]

It's interesting because the terrible calls always seem to work in favor of what the league would want to have happen - in this case more drama and likely the series coming down to the 7th game. I would almost guarantee that if the game is close tonight that the last minute or so would look like the refs are favoring the Mavs.

[NHPlanner]

I stopped watching the NBA 10 years ago....I don't miss it.

That being said, reffing in the playoffs is always been inconsistent from what I remember.

[hilldweller]

The Mavs are a bunch of whiners with the biggest whiner owner in the league. The reason Miami gets calls is that they actually take the ball to the hoop instead of settling for 20-foot jumpers.

[Vlaude]

Hilldweller do the Mavs not have something to complain about? I mean some of these calls have been horrible! The Stackhouse suspension was a joke, or if not I think Shaq should have been suspended when he layed the smack down on Stackhouse a few games earlier which left Stackhouse with a gash and stitches. Then what about lost time in game 3, foul after foul for D. Wade and when Harris drives to the bucket and gets knocked down multiple times a no-call, a no-call obvious backcourt violation, a phantom foul in the waning seconds after throwing up a prayer triple teamed. Come on... I'd be pissed as a Mavericks fan/owner/player too... But I do agree with you Cololi they had their chances...

LOL, I remember that came as well (Jazz vs Bulls)... Jordan would get away with so much B.S. Remember the called back 3 point shot at half-time too that was clearly good on the replay? Yeap, I guess its kinda like WWF, if you are the popular one you'll get the game created in your favor. That push off was bad, only thing worse would have been if Jordan would have grabbed the back of Byron's head and smashed his knee into his face, thus dropping him to the floor and then shooting the shot! LOL Star treatment in the NBA is really bad. Dirk gets his calls at home as well...

[hilldweller]

Hilldweller do the Mavs not have something to complain about? I mean some of these calls have been horrible! The Stackhouse suspension was a joke, or if not I think Shaq should have been suspended when he layed the smack down on Stackhouse a few games earlier which left Stackhouse with a gash and stitches. Then what about lost time in game 3, foul after foul for D. Wade and when Harris drives to the bucket and gets knocked down multiple times a no-call, a no-call obvious backcourt violation, a phantom foul in the waning seconds after throwing up a prayer triple teamed. Come on... I'd be pissed as a Mavericks fan/owner/player too... But I do agree with you Cololi they had their chances...

Guess it really didn't matter in the end. Dallas was exposed for what they are: a one-dimensional team of shooters who play mediocre defense and can't score points inside. The tears are probably flowing in Dallas but they have no one to blame but themselves.

[cololi]

LOL, I remember that came as well (Jazz vs Bulls)... Jordan would get away with so much B.S. Remember the called back 3 point shot at half-time too that was clearly good on the replay? Yeap, I guess its kinda like WWF, if you are the popular one you'll get the game created in your favor. That push off was bad, only thing worse would have been if Jordan would have grabbed the back of Byron's head and smashed his knee into his face, thus dropping him to the floor and then shooting the shot! LOL Star treatment in the NBA is really bad. Dirk gets his calls at home as well...

Yeah, don't get me started. That 3 pointer happened literally 15 feet away from me. The part that really gott o me was when harper knocked down a 3 in the fourth quarter that was clearly late. Such is life.

The Mavs were definetly exposed in this series. Outside shooting alone can't win when the pressure is on. Their defense is horrible. Every team in the league shoots a lot free throws against the mavs because they play defense with their hands and have no clue about position defense.

[michaelskis]

Well Shaq is a super star... you can't touch him without getting a foul. On the other hand if he lays you out, it's your fault for being in his way.

I agree that the refs in NBA are not that good.

[imaplanner]

It's interesting because the terrible calls always seem to work in favor of what the league would want to have happen - in this case more drama and likely the series coming down to the 7th game. I would almost guarantee that if the game is close tonight that the last minute or so would look like the refs are favoring the Mavs.

I was wrong. The late game foul called against Nowitski on Wade was terrible. It should have been a foul on Wade since he shoved his elbow out to push Nowitski off. That was the deciding moment of the game.

Combine that with the late foul called against the Mavs in game 5 when wade drove to the hoop and missed but nobody touched him. Then I think you have some terrible one-sided reffing that may very well have decided the outcome of the game.

Unfortunately in the NBA anytime you have a close game/series the refs always screw it up.

[cololi]

I was wrong. The late game foul called against Nowitski on Wade was terrible. It should have been a foul on Wade since he shoved his elbow out to push Nowitski off. That was the deciding moment of the game.

I don't think that was that bad of a call nor do I think it was the deciding moment of the game. Dirk cannot play defense. He doesn't move well on defense. The contact was initiated by Wade, but Dirk was not in front of him, he was more to the side and was impeding Wade's progress without proper position, which is a foul. If he was in proper position, it may have been a different call.

The deciding moment came when dampier dropped a perfect pass that would have been an easy basket with under a minute left that I think would have tied the score. Also, Dallas had as good of a look at a three as you can get with their last shot. That was poor defense by Miami.

Off topic, Will the 2003 draft go down as the best in history? With Wade, lebron james, Carmello Anthony (if he pulls his head out

[imaplanner]

I dont necessarily think that the refs completely blew the game - I agree that the Mavs lack of inside game and lack of defense was the critical thing. I just think the reffing at critical points in the series was downright terrible.

Off topic, Will the 2003 draft go down as the best in history? With Wade, lebron james, Carmello Anthony (if he pulls his head out

I don't know how you can ever beat the 1984 draft. Hakeem, Michael, Barkley and Stockton.

Not to mention sam Bowie