Rigged where? There was some calls that I didn't like for OKC, then there was the same thing the other way. The OKC defenders were physical and got away with some stuff, but so did the Pacers defenders, but I think many people are more tuned in to looking for OKC fouls, and also there is a lot of confirmation bias that happens.
Some people come into the game already saying, "oh it's going to be rigged" and then they will make the game action fit it. I mean there was a poster complaining about Indiana getting fouls in their favor as the refs trying to help OKC rest. If you're already committed to a conclusion, the game will have that conclusion. For some people, yesterday's game before it started was going to be one of two, no matter what happened:
1) Indiana won despite OKC getting ref help
2) OKC won because it was rigged for them
So whatever was happening would have to fit that conclusion.
MrPainfulTruth wrote:Bergmaniac wrote:MrPainfulTruth wrote:I dont think any other player in this league would consistently get away with it. Same as the move Harden had for two or three seasons.
Paul George, to name one obvious example, has gotten away with a pushoff more blatant than Shai's for most of his career.
Yes he did! And other superstars had their signature moves where they got a lot more leash than the rest of the league. Thats exactly what i'm saying, thanks for confirming my point.
PG, Chris Paul, KD had his ripthrough that noone else got, LeBron was consistently allowed to run over defenders and rarely got called for a charge (or travel). Harden forced his hands and the ball into defernders and would get freethrows every time. His stepback made up of four steps or more was a travel for everyone else.
I think its cute, but naive to believe that this highly commercial league is above manipulating games (we actually know it happened before). Its literally like the red pill / blue pill decision. I am not mad at anyone who prefers to stay in their nice clean fan bubble. The product is good and if you enjoy consuming it and paying for it, good for you! But allow others to have a different opinion based on obvious evidence.
As of now - name one other player who NOW would get away with a pushoff every time he drives, and NEVER get called for an offensive foul.
This is not true at all. Before them, Duncan and Kobe were rip through masters. Kevin Martin made it a big part of getting himself to the FT line. Harden used it too as well as others. When they changed it to side out of bounds and no long considered it in the act of shooting, many guys quit doing it, but CP would still consistently do it to get guys in foul trouble and to take advantage of bonus. Other guys would still do it just to make defenders less willing to have their hands there.
The amount of times a guy like CP did it and had to dribble because of no call though was a lot more than one might imagine, so even he didn't always even get the actual whistle on that.
Anyways, all that to say that, no, it was not a special call for them in any way, what you're citing is simply that they were heavy users of they tactic.
Nothing to see here.
