Tim Donaghy's Review of the Game

[Cqc_Nastyn8]

Check out Tim Donaghy’s review of the game:

http://deadspin.com/5557203/tim-donaghy ... e=true&s=i

Here are some choice comments:

1st Q
6:13 [LAL 13-10] Illegal screen set by Kendrick Perkins, but no foul is called as he takes out Fisher. Allen hits a three-pointer because of this.

2nd Q
10:08 [BOS 31-24] Bryant gets fouled on the low post by both Pierce and Allen prior to the travel violation. These missed fouls cost L.A. a possession.
3:20 [BOS 49-39] Major missed call here. That’s not an offensive foul on Bryant. The referee is clearly fooled. On TV, it looks as if Kobe’s head hits Allen’s, which isn’t a foul.
3:03 [BOS 49-39] Make-up call. It’s clear the official realizes he made a mistake.
2:00 [BOS 52-41] Foul on Gasol? This is a charge on Perkins. Gasol is backing up.

3rd Q
6:19 [LAL 63-61] Great acting job by Rondo. Cheap foul sends Bryant to the bench with his fourth.
1:27 [BOS 72-70] Foul missed on Allen. Fisher is fouled going to the hoop — a call Allen’s been getting on the other end.

4th Q
11:15 [BOS 74-72] Bryant charges into Davis? Davis moves up and into Kobe; the defender needs to be set when the offensive player goes upward into his shooting motion. Officials will huddle and discuss that Kobe has five fouls and that his next one will send him out of the game.
3:33 [LAL 90-89] Not a foul on Artest. Pierce lost his balance.
1:59 [BOS 93-90] Out-of-bounds call is reviewed by instant replay and upheld. That’s not how I saw it. I saw the ball going off Garnett, whose hand was inside of Gasol’s.
1:14 [BOS 97-90] Bryant fouled going to the hoop, but it’s ignored. Kobe’s clearly not getting the star treatment he received in game 1.
47.1 [BOS 98-93] Not a foul on Artest. No idea what the official sees to make this call.

Hate em or love em

[TonyMontana]

Even though I agree with some of his inputs about this game in general............ SKIP EM. I wouldnt believe a word of his and we are the last fan base that needs to take this guys ish seriously since he has tarnished this game with his own greed and lies.

[Cqc_Nastyn8]

if he was crooked what makes you think the others aren't?

[Slava]

Its pretty clear that today's NBA is not a man's game. This is a watered down version of the game we love made to suit and appease the TV audience that like drama and suspense.

Why do we still watch it? Because the best talent is still here.

In terms of watching good basketball I'd rate the NCAA much much higher than the pros. Donaghy has a case, so do the pro league guys.

From my point of view, I played in and reffed high caliber, heated up intramural games where players would almost come to blows and even in that atmosphere I have seen and been part of a much fairer game without the benefit of action replay and with only 2 refs for any game.

It also helps when the players don't go down theatrically and play like real men.

[Fencer reregistered]

He also noted a bunch of bad calls favoring the Lakers.

Whatever is wrong or dishonest about Donahy, he's highlighted one of the problems with NBA refereeing -- only a small fraction of the infractions can ever be called. Hence there's huge scope for error, bias, and inconsistency.

Frankly, I think the biggest joke is traveling. Everybody does it, and has since I started watching hoops on TV in the 1980s. Magic palmed on every dribble. Jordan traveled on his dunks. Bird traveled when he stepped behind the 3 pt line.

All three types of travel/double dribble are much more prevalent today. It's almost a non-rule.

[DEEP3CL]

It don't matter what Donaghy thinks what happened. I agree with T-Money and some of j-far's points. Screw the refs from here on out, what has to be done will be done by the players. This game is about talent........the better talent will prevail period.

[eckoner]

I have listened to the actual words that come from this mans mouth and i have also read most of his book via PDF.

What he constantly says and nobody actually listens is " We (the league/refs) are not fixing games but we have a meeting prior to every game held by the league offices and they tell us what we need to look out for"

What this means is they are directed to make calls based on what the league deems as worthy enough to help the refs call the game in a way that upholds the principles of the game (Benefits the league)

I mean come on now does this surprise anyone?

The NBA is not the only one that see's it this way...all pro sports have a guidelines in place that help advance the prospective leagues position at that time.

Point is it's not fixed but simply guided to the point of making the "product" on the court as profitable as possible for the league and team owners.

Some days it benefits one team and other days the opposite team. I have watched games and seen ghost calls made on whoever was guarding Kobe at the time and i call it as i see it and understand two things ::

!.The refs are never going to be perfect!
2.They get a paycheck signed by Mr Stern

I'm way off point now but will close saying yeah Tim gives some good insight but listen to the actual words that come out of his mouth!

[aussie_laker]

I just watched the replay then, and the garnett/gasol call without a doubt changed the course of the game. going from down 3, to down 5, and then forcing us to take a contested 3.

The foul on Artest also came at a crucial time. Kobe has just hit a long 3 and you could sense there was belief in the team. Who knows what may have come of that turnover... maybe another Kobe 3. The hard luck tory of this is just that the bad calls against us came at the most crucial point in the game.

I just hope they bounce back, and can play a full 48 minutes, because we are the better team, and played 4 bad minutes of basketball that could cost us the championship.

[Fencer reregistered]

http://deadspin.com/tag/timdonaghy/ has more Donaghy links.

He mentioned a lot of palmings that were not called in Game 1. That's the sort of innocuous point on which I think we can all agree he is credible.

He also said that Game 1 was called in a very pro-Laker, specifically pro-Kobe way. I'm not expecting as much agreement on that part ...

[Mamba Venom]

Worst part of the game is that we were watching the best players in the world compete at flopping and not getting fouls called instead of playing against each other.

[Dirty Water]

Worst part of the game is that we were watching the best players in the world compete at flopping and not getting fouls called instead of playing against each other.

Thought Laker's fans would be used to that by now. I mean you guys have watched 100 games this year with Pau Gasol on your team.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Worst part of the game is that we were watching the best players in the world compete at flopping and not getting fouls called instead of playing against each other.

Thought Laker's fans would be used to that by now. I mean you guys have watched 100 games this year with Pau Gasol on your team.

of course we are use to it, but not as used to it as you guys should be with Paul Pierce. how is he going to top himself this time? I'm thinking streacher.

[Cqc_Nastyn8]

Worst part of the game is that we were watching the best players in the world compete at flopping and not getting fouls called instead of playing against each other.

Thought Laker's fans would be used to that by now. I mean you guys have watched 100 games this year with Pau Gasol on your team.

wow boston fans lol go suck on something please. Why are you even posting in LA forums?

[Kilroy]

Worst part of the game is that we were watching the best players in the world compete at flopping and not getting fouls called instead of playing against each other.

Thought Laker's fans would be used to that by now. I mean you guys have watched 100 games this year with Pau Gasol on your team.

Damn dude... Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are the biggest floppers there are... (Well next to Steve Nash) Rondo's picking up too...

Don't be mad at Gasol just cause he's single-handedly making everyone over 6-6 on your team look like high-school players...

[TonyMontana]

Thought Laker's fans would be used to that by now. I mean you guys have watched 100 games this year with Pau Gasol on your team.

LMAO............ seriously like I said on your board and Ill say it again on here YOU GUYS SHOULD BE THE LAST FAN BASE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT FLOPPING.

[daddyfivestar]

League has to do what it can to make sure this goes at least 6.

Look at last year - they were looking golden for 6 or 7 and Fisher straight effed it up for the league.

Ratings sucked, Orlando got a big lead in gm 5 with LA's bigs in ticky tack foul trouble, desperately trying to get Orlando a win. LA went off in the 3rd, and Orlando threw in the towel much to Stern's dismay. No trip back to LA.

[H00PDREAMS]

I agree with Donaghy initial explanation the LEAGUE is responsible for certain calls to be made. What calls to look for and to make on certain players. Remember the Yao Ming ghost foul calls that VanGundy spent alot of money going public with. Then Cuban was talking about illegal screens. Ya know what happend? Yao got a lot more illegal screen calls against him and Yao became untouchable in the post area. The League reviewed those calls and made the reffs go out of their way to make these calls.

Stern is always seeking to extend the playoffs and finals more so than ever due to the terrible economy of the past 3 years that is getting worse for the owners. Plus the the NBA is looking at a lockout! The League has to do something, and this is something they feel they can control in order to increase the bottom line and increase ratings.

This LeBron and free agency drama is being fueled by the league as well in my opinion.

[joe.linnen]

Even though I agree with some of his inputs about this game in general............ SKIP EM. I wouldnt believe a word of his and we are the last fan base that needs to take this guys ish seriously since he has tarnished this game with his own greed and lies.

lets leave the past in the pass. He was telling the truth about game two, they fould that were called on of were BS, but thats in the past too, Now on to game 3 lets kill the Celtics in their own house.

[chefy]

funny, hes not predicting which team is going to win anymore like before


any knowledgeable bball fan can rewatch the game and point out bad calls in a bad officiated game.

[DubaLakers]

Worst part of the game is that we were watching the best players in the world compete at flopping and not getting fouls called instead of playing against each other.

Thought Laker's fans would be used to that by now. I mean you guys have watched 100 games this year with Pau Gasol on your team.

KG drives me mad with his bs arm grabs, hold, illegal picks with those Inspector Gadget arms, few are called. He bear hugs Pau when he sets a pick. He'd foul out the second quarter of every game if they didn't let him do near wtf he wants on defense. So Boston fan I think you can stomach a few Pau flops.