2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Denver Nuggets (Series tied 1-1)

[TinmanZBoy]

Wow, one tight win flips the script this violently? Now the Nuggets seem to be a big favorite in voting… this is hilarious… guys need to stick to your pick…

[Whopper_Sr]

Nuggets in 7 but if they win tonight...

[Patches Perry]

With referee decisions, it gets a bit iffier, because I think it can be done in a wink-wink-nod-nod kind of way, where there’s nothing that could be revealed that would actually definitively make the league look bad (i.e. if they told an official to pay attention to a specific type of situation/infraction in an upcoming game, it could serve to benefit one team, but it wouldn’t look nakedly corrupt if ever revealed). So I find the referee stuff more plausible, though I don’t feel strongly at all about whether it’s actually happening.

I mostly agree with the rest of your post, and I don't think it's unreasonable to think it's plausible, but it seems as a first principle it should be assumed that outcomes are not directed/rigged/coerced, because if 1 outcome is rigged, then you can't really be confident that any of them aren't rigged. It's like if you knew that at least 1 cookie in the cookie jar was poisoned, you couldn't trust that any of them could be eaten safely. Because of this, it seems to me that either all of them can be trusted, or none of them can.

[MrPainfulTruth]

With referee decisions, it gets a bit iffier, because I think it can be done in a wink-wink-nod-nod kind of way, where there’s nothing that could be revealed that would actually definitively make the league look bad (i.e. if they told an official to pay attention to a specific type of situation/infraction in an upcoming game, it could serve to benefit one team, but it wouldn’t look nakedly corrupt if ever revealed). So I find the referee stuff more plausible, though I don’t feel strongly at all about whether it’s actually happening.

I mostly agree with the rest of your post, and I don't think it's unreasonable to think it's plausible, but it seems as a first principle it should be assumed that outcomes are not directed/rigged/coerced, because if 1 outcome is rigged, then you can't really be confident that any of them aren't rigged. It's like if you knew that at least 1 cookie in the cookie jar was poisoned, you couldn't trust that any of them could be eaten safely. Because of this, it seems to me that either all of them can be trusted, or none of them can.

What do you call "rigged" exactly? I ask because i am not a native english speaker. Maybe we have different understandings.

Do you think contact on Jokic is officiated comparable to Embiid or other, smaller bigs? Or, for that matter, guards?

Do you think star players are treated like normal players or even rookies?

If you think there is no rigging, then you believe every player is officiated according to the exact same rules, right?

If you believe that in those examples, the answer is no systematically, not just anecdotally, then it means the officiating follows an agenda, not the rulebook only. Which would be my understanding of "rigging" games.

[Optms]

Jokic benefited a lot more from the whistle in the last game than Shai, so if they are calling more it’s likely not an OKC benefit.

The only FT merchant we saw was Jokic flopping his way to the line non stop last game, especially in the 4th. Game became unwatchable.

How many FTs did Denver shoot in the 4th versus the Thunder? Anyone have the stat on that?

[Patches Perry]

With referee decisions, it gets a bit iffier, because I think it can be done in a wink-wink-nod-nod kind of way, where there’s nothing that could be revealed that would actually definitively make the league look bad (i.e. if they told an official to pay attention to a specific type of situation/infraction in an upcoming game, it could serve to benefit one team, but it wouldn’t look nakedly corrupt if ever revealed). So I find the referee stuff more plausible, though I don’t feel strongly at all about whether it’s actually happening.

I mostly agree with the rest of your post, and I don't think it's unreasonable to think it's plausible, but it seems as a first principle it should be assumed that outcomes are not directed/rigged/coerced, because if 1 outcome is rigged, then you can't really be confident that any of them aren't rigged. It's like if you knew that at least 1 cookie in the cookie jar was poisoned, you couldn't trust that any of them could be eaten safely. Because of this, it seems to me that either all of them can be trusted, or none of them can.

What do you call "rigged" exactly? I ask because i am not a native english speaker. Maybe we have different understandings.

Do you think contact on Jokic is officiated comparable to Embiid or other, smaller bigs? Or, for that matter, guards?

Do you think star players are treated like normal players or even rookies?

If you think there is no rigging, then you believe every player is officiated according to the exact same rules, right?

If you believe that in those examples, the answer is no systematically, not just anecdotally, then it means the officiating follows an agenda, not the rulebook only. Which would be my understanding of "rigging" games.

Rigging would mean intentionally influencing the game/series a certain direction with hopes to produce a certain outcome.

[JM00n69]

Wow, one tight win flips the script this violently? Now the Nuggets seem to be a big favorite in voting… this is hilarious… guys need to stick to your pick…

I did

[Sharkboy242]

Jokic benefited a lot more from the whistle in the last game than Shai, so if they are calling more it’s likely not an OKC benefit.

The only FT merchant we saw was Jokic flopping his way to the line non stop last game, especially in the 4th. Game became unwatchable.

How many FTs did Denver shoot in the 4th versus the Thunder? Anyone have the stat on that?

Anyone have a stat on how quickly you stop posting when Denver takes the lead in games?

[Exp0sed]

I always love the "it's rigged in this 1 game if a certain outcome happens but not the rest of the time and not if the team I'm rooting for wins" pre-game excuses.

Bad news for yall, if game 2 is rigged, then game 1 was rigged

Good news for yall, the games aren't rigged

I don't believe in the "league is rigged" stuff at all. with that said it's a disgrace the league still employs Scott Foster but now when the league is driven by the gambling industry, there aren't alot of expectations left I guess

meaning, I don't think the league slotted Foster to favor the Thunder (or Denver for that matter) but damn, just fire this dude already. Foster reffed in some of the biggest Jokic games this season, including his 61\10\10 game vs. the Wolves and he was the head official in Jokic's historic 31\22\21 game vs. PHX

hard to argue he's got some bias against the Nuggets..

[Wolfgang630]

Scott Foster is here. Game gonna be rigged to help….

[JM00n69]

I always love the "it's rigged in this 1 game if a certain outcome happens but not the rest of the time and not if the team I'm rooting for wins" pre-game excuses.

Bad news for yall, if game 2 is rigged, then game 1 was rigged

Good news for yall, the games aren't rigged

I'm not saying NBA is rigged but Scott Foster has a very shady history even past probably fixing games with Tim Donaghy back in the day and is known to play favoroites. Highlighted by his playoff streak whenever Chris Paul was playing for one of the teams that day. Paul is 2-17 all time in playoffs when Foster refs, very much off from his career .500+ record. Forster very much hated Paul and this got aired out very publicly a few years ago.

https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/story/_/id/31850000/scott-foster-nemesis-phoenix-suns-chris-paul-referee-game-6-nba-finals

To be clear, the game tonight is rigged or not?

I never claimed the league is rigged or that this game is rigged. I commented that Foster the Fixer has been brought in all of a sudden. Not everything is about you darling why you getting so butthurt

[MoneyTalks41890]

it's a disgrace the league still employs Scott Foster but now when the league is driven by the gambling industry, there aren't alot of expectations left I guess…
… but damn, just fire this dude already.

Absolutely

[MrPainfulTruth]

Jokic benefited a lot more from the whistle in the last game than Shai, so if they are calling more it’s likely not an OKC benefit.

The only FT merchant we saw was Jokic flopping his way to the line non stop last game, especially in the 4th. Game became unwatchable.

How many FTs did Denver shoot in the 4th versus the Thunder? Anyone have the stat on that?

Oh, you are back? I was a bit worried, you disappeared so suddenly after last game...what exactly happened there?

[Woodsanity]

Jokic benefited a lot more from the whistle in the last game than Shai, so if they are calling more it’s likely not an OKC benefit.

The only FT merchant we saw was Jokic flopping his way to the line non stop last game, especially in the 4th. Game became unwatchable.

How many FTs did Denver shoot in the 4th versus the Thunder? Anyone have the stat on that?

You mean the quarter where those dumb dumbs fouled them on every possession towards the end? Maybe you can start watching games from now on then you would know not to support overrated players like Harden, the Harden of Centers and homeless man's Jokic.

[MrPainfulTruth]

Wow, one tight win flips the script this violently? Now the Nuggets seem to be a big favorite in voting… this is hilarious… guys need to stick to your pick…

Thats silly. OKC is still heavily favored. But at least we've seen they are mortal. I thought the grizzlies should also have won at least one game - it was awful they had a lead of almost 30 points and then OKC hacked and crippled their best player. May have been unintentional but it reeks. I wonder what they'd say if someone took out SGA's legs and sent him to the stretcher for a few weeks right at the beginning of the playoffs.

[Patches Perry]

I'm not saying NBA is rigged but Scott Foster has a very shady history even past probably fixing games with Tim Donaghy back in the day and is known to play favoroites. Highlighted by his playoff streak whenever Chris Paul was playing for one of the teams that day. Paul is 2-17 all time in playoffs when Foster refs, very much off from his career .500+ record. Forster very much hated Paul and this got aired out very publicly a few years ago.

https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/story/_/id/31850000/scott-foster-nemesis-phoenix-suns-chris-paul-referee-game-6-nba-finals

To be clear, the game tonight is rigged or not?

I never claimed the league is rigged or that this game is rigged. I commented that Foster the Fixer has been brought in all of a sudden. Not everything is about you darling why you getting so butthurt

Asking you to clarify is butthurt? Lol. You must not get a lot of people who talk to you on purpose.

Thank you for clarifying that you don't think tonight's game is rigged, but rather "fixed"

[JM00n69]

To be clear, the game tonight is rigged or not?

I never claimed the league is rigged or that this game is rigged. I commented that Foster the Fixer has been brought in all of a sudden. Not everything is about you darling why you getting so butthurt

Asking you to clarify is butthurt? Lol. You must not get a lot of people who talk to you on purpose.

Thank you for clarifying that you don't think tonight's game is rigged, but rather "fixed"

You still don't get it

[durden_tyler]

Nuggets +10.0 vs Thunder in G2.

Should be an easy win for OKC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrPainfulTruth]

Nuggets +10.0 vs Thunder in G2.

Should be an easy win for OKC.

If Murray and MPJ hit a good game, it will be very close. But one thing i'm sure of. Jokic is a genius, he wins with IQ. In every series he constantly gets better by figuring out the other team. He will be better tonight. Less turnovers, more assists.

[Exp0sed]

on paper, tonight should be a blow-out

Adelman + coach Jokic's defensive gameplan for game 1 was actually pretty solid. apart from the opening mins, they didn't allow SGA to iso on the wing and proceed to attack the middle. SGA is more than capable of finding the open man and finding him fast and he did but the "others" (aside from Caruso and a bit of Dort) were just not hitting shots. Chet laying bricks from outside made it even tougher on the Thunder, as the pick n' pop with Chet has been very effective for them and keeps the floor spaced very well

I don't think the Thunder were really ready for this defensive look but now, they had time to review and adjust and likely that strategy would have been less effective even without adjustments, as long as the "others" are hitting shots, which was the case all season long by in large

Denver doesn't really have adjustments it can make, not major ones anyway..only in the margins. OKC has so many different things it can do and I think we'll see some of that tonight. edit: for example, I doubt we'll see Mark D starting the game with Chet on Jokic and Iharte on AG as he did in game 1. we'll see Iharte on Jokic from the jump.

also, after a long layoff\rest and not being tested at all for a while, hurt them esepcially in the clutch vs. an elite clutch team in Denver.i suppose their youth also played a part, the Nuggets were locked in and in a high gear - OKC looked pretty pedestrian on the energy and urgency fronts. getting that knock in the teeth in game one, surely did wonders to get them in the right mindset and we'll see a different intensity from them tonight

Windy said something I agree with, he said he trusts the Thunder more to make a stop in the clutch than to make a shot in the clutch, I think there's alot of truth to that, if the Nuggets can keep this one close, pressure will be building up and Denver has a slight edge in those situations but like I said, I think this one will be all OKC