Game Thread 12/19: Pacers vs. Raptors

[Jake0890]

Time to bounce back...

[Jake0890]

Myles Turner with two boneheaded turnovers down the stretch but redeems himself in classic fashion with two amazing blocks.

[Wizop]

terrible week for Vic. also 2 last second noncalls.

Sent from my phone.

[Topofthekey]

I think it says something when you can't beat the Raptors even when they are missing 3 key players

[Tor_Raps]

Clear foul at the end. You guys clearly outplayed us the whole game and deserved a better fate.

Sabonis is a beast and should have been used for more quick hitting plays under the rim. Raptors had no answer for him.

[basketballwacko2]

That was just disgusting. Turnovers!

[Wizop]

we need to practice against zones. Burke thinks you only practice man to man but how then do you learn zone offense?

Sent from my phone.

[HankMoody69]

It was tough to watch last quater. Oladipo was hero balling and failing masively. Somebody should talk to him about this. When he's playing like this, Pacers become poorer team. He costed two games in a row. Team leader should show better example. Nate also had very rough stretch, his coaching left a lot to be desired.

[CoachD]

I was surprised by Buckner's commentary

He spends as much time burying the opponents as elevating his own team. . the funny part so many of his comments were instantly turned against him.

Oh Turner has a mismatch with Van Vleet (then Van Vleet blocks the shot and starts a break)

"This team plays zone and switches because they aren't very good guarding 1 on 1"

"Why is the defensive player of the year not guarding Vic?" (Moments later Van Vleet pokes the ball and forces the jump).

I find it odd that a guy who sees a team a few times a year makes so many definitive (and incorrect) statements about a team

[Train7492]

I would have to agree about Vic playing hero ball. When he’s in that mode we just stand around and wait. I also believe some of this is on Nate, though it has worked in certain games having Collison and Joseph on the floor at end of the game wasn’t real smart.

[boomershadow]

There is definitely something about Oladipo's tendency to go ISO-ball this year that isn't propelling us to wins.

[Wizop]

and just earlier this week we were reading stories about Vic learning he didn't have to be a hero. the good news is that he will watch the tape and I think will accept responsibility and not just blame the officials. if you recognize that you aren't going to get calls driving into the teeth of the defense, you better try something else.

[Pacers_Freak]

I think it says something when you can't beat the Raptors even when they are missing 3 key players

A game that should have been won. But it is impossible to make definitive statements like in that in a 1 game out of 82 scenario. The loss to Cleveland was worse. 1st night of a B2B and at home. Toronto 2nd night on the road. And even without Ibaka and Lowry they are infinitely better than the Cavs. Did it say something last year when the Pacers curb stomped a completely healthy Golden State team? No. So to me it says nothing other than they had a great opportunity to win both and let it slip away.

[AreBe]

and just earlier this week we were reading stories about Vic learning he didn't have to be a hero. the good news is that he will watch the tape and I think will accept responsibility and not just blame the officials. if you recognize that you aren't going to get calls driving into the teeth of the defense, you better try something else.

Let me explain this in the form of a horrible and unnecessary poem:
Adam Silver, the TV networks and Madison Avenue hate your guts and want you to lose
The Networks dream of a California team vs the Celts
"The zero US ratings Toronto Raptors or the small ratings Indiana Pacers making the finals? Pass me the booze!"
Pacers got the Raptors treatment last night,Cleveland had 4 fouls against the Raptors in one the ECF! The job of the NBA officials is to make the big market teams advance and for small ones? Deliver the welts!

On June 10, 2008, Donaghy's attorney filed a court document alleging, among other things, that Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings was fixed by two referees. The letter states that Donaghy "learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men', always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series."[37] The Lakers won Game 6, attempting 18 more free throws than the Kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the 2002 NBA Finals. The teams were not named, but the Western Conference Finals was the only seven-game series that year.[38] The document claimed that Donaghy told federal agents that to increase television ratings and ticket sales, "top executives of the NBA sought to manipulate games using referees".[37] It also said that NBA officials would tell referees to not call technical fouls on certain players, and states that a referee was privately reprimanded by the league for ejecting a star player in the first quarter of a January 2000 game.[37] Stern denied the accusations, calling Donaghy a "singing, cooperating witness".[38]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Donaghy#Allegations_against_the_NBA

[pacers33granger]

Two consecutive games with missed calls screwing us at the end is tough, but we should not have been in that position in either game. Credit to the Raps for clamping down on defense at the end there and FVV for hitting that huge three. We've still got some major holes to iron out it seems.

[Wizop]

if it is a fix. why do they announce the next day that the call was bad?

Sent from my phone.

[Jake0890]

if it is a fix. why do they announce the next day that the call was bad?

Sent from my phone.

This game wasn’t a fix, but even if it was, they would most definitely announce the calls were bad. Tinfoil hat on here, it makes you look more transparent and even if you say the call was bad the outcome doesn’t change. No reason not to acknowledge the call was bad when the whole world can see OG hit Bojans arm. Any less would be blatantly ignorant.

[Topofthekey]

I'm not compelled to say that the NBA fixes its games

But on the other hand, if you think they are morally above rigging the game when hundreds of millions of dollars in betting and TV ratings money are involved, I'd call you a fool

[boomershadow]

We have always known a small market team has to be that much better than the competition in order to have a chance. The Pacers aren't gonna get the benefit of the doubt. Not with officials or the fans and media across the country.

I admire the organization what it has done over the decades. Nobody would really mind if we were a bottom dwelling team like the Kings or the Clippers of old or the recent Magic just to name a few examples. The fact that the team have been a perennial playoff team whose name pops up in the contender conversation every now and then is a testament to their hard work and smart moves.

[Wizop]

I'm not compelled to say that the NBA fixes its games

But on the other hand, if you think they are morally above rigging the game when hundreds of millions of dollars in betting and TV ratings money are involved, I'd call you a fool

what I think is that the owners would put a stop to it quickly. there are more small market teams than big market teams and every small market owner would speak up behind closed doors to say you will not cheat me. now the big market owners get a huge financial advantage from their local TV contracts which provide the money to allow them to pay luxury tax and still make a profit and perhaps that doesn't hurt anyone. still the owners must know that more people watch the very worst NFL game than watch the NBA finals and the NFL rules create parity. the NBA's long term game plan is the international market as unlike American football, basketball is played everywhere. cheating smaller cities isn't productive if your goal is to secure a billion viewers in China.