http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?id=400278055
Memphis took 30 more field goal attempts but shot 16 less free throws. Memphis was in the bonus with 6:14 left in the 4th and didn't shoot a single free throw for the entire 4th quarter (when the game was on the line).
So Memphis takes 30 more shots and gets 8 less shooting fouls called on them? That makes sense. Let's not mention some of the horrible no calls in this game, i.e. Rudy Gay getting molested driving to the basket, twice, in the fourth.
I'm about done with this sport because it's just too subjective and vulnerable to officiating. In no other popular sport, do officials have such power over the outcome of a game. Officials are so powerful they have absolute sway over the outcome of a particular game. Don't believe me?
Fact #1: The first 15 games of the 2006-07 refereed by Tim Donaghy that had big enough betting to move the point spread by at least 1.5 points were PERFECT against Las Vegas – meaning that the big money gamblers won a 15 of 15 times on his games. The odds of that happening randomly are 32,768 to 1.
…
Last season alone, 13 games refereed by Tim Donaghy fell within A SINGLE POINT of the Las Vegas point spread. In the last two seasons alone, the winner of 14 NBA games refereed by Tim Donaghy was decided by a single bucket or less.
This whole mess was swept under the rug, and only a couple years later everyone seems to have "forgotten" about it. But Donaghy had several allegations; Stern on the other hand said he was "making things up to cover his own ass."
I'm calling bull on that.
As another blogger posted, the Feds have a 95% conviction rate and Donaghy had to expect his allegations would be investigated. So do you really think he'd make things up to reduce his prison sentence by feeding federal authorities loads of bull, which could land him further in hot water? Doesn't make sense.
Not to mention that Scott Foster, another referee alleged to receive payouts is STILL OFFICIATING!
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/06/01/s ... at-game-3/
Anyway, here's a very good read:
http://www.thefixisin.net/donaghy.html
Say what you want... but there's corruption in every organization on the planet and in an industry driven by $$$ there's absolutely no way this league is pure. Not every game is fixed...but it completely takes the enjoyment out of watching basketball when you know that some of these outcomes are decided before hand.
Even Doc Rivers complains about the officiating in our latest game:
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/ ... e-whistles
Enjoy the season. Memphis will never reach the Finals, regardless as to how well they play. It's just not a big enough market.
