The Lakers won Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals 93-91, but it didn't come without controversy.
As Brent Barry went up for the potential game-winning shot, he was bumped by Lakers starting guard Derek Fisher. The bump appeared to influence the shot and Barry was only able to get off a poor attempt that bounced off the backboard as time expired.
No foul called, Lakers win.
The Spurs didn't lose this game on that possession, however. They were out-hustled, out-rebounded, and out-played for all 48 minutes. The Lakers were the better team, and the better team won. That's how it should be.
The Spurs had their chances and they benefited from some serious home cooking. Kobe Bryant took 29 shots and was rewarded with no free throws. Nada. Zip. Zero.
The referees awarded the Spurs with 26 freebies to the Lakers 19. The referees ignored a Duncan travel. They called Lamar Odom for a foul where he clearly got a hand on the ball for a jump ball early in the game.
Late in the game, Robert Horry was rewarded with a jump ball call against Jordan Farmar on a similar play. Jordan Farmar was called for a push-off foul. Brent Barry did the exact same thing early in the fourth and was rewarded with free throws.
But these type of discrepancies happen. It is part of the game.
What is really disturbing are the missed calls at the end of the game. Manu Ginobli is credited with three points with 50.5 seconds to play even though his foot was clearly on the line and should have been a two.
Lamar Odom clearly blocked a Parker layup with 40.5 seconds to go and is called for goaltending. Derek Fisher's shot with 5.6 seconds to play grazed the rim and bounced off of Robert Horry's foot.
The Lakers should have been able to have the shot-clock reset, yet the officials erroneously ruled that the ball did not hit the rim.
Each of these plays were ones that went in the Spurs' favor during crunch time and resulted in chances to win the ball game that never should have happened.
Then the final play.
If you understand basketball, then you should understand that the "no call" was actually a call in favor of the Spurs.
If you go by the rule book, Brent Barry's play was a travel. Barry picked up his pivot foot and traveled before Fisher ever bumped him and the ball should have been awarded to the Lakers.
The officials didn't give the Lakers that call at the end of the game and allowed the Spurs to get off a potential game-winning shot.
So if we're going to talk about the call at the end of the game that was missed let's start with Barry's travel that was not called and work our way back.
The bottom line is: the better team won the game and that's the way it should be.
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4 months ago
The Spurs didn't lose this game on that possession, however. They were out-hustled, out-rebounded, and out-played for all 48 minutes. The Lakers were the better team, and the better team won. That's how it should be.
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When Dwyane Wade and the Heat win, it's because of the Refs.
When Kobe Bryant and the Lakers win, it's because they "out-hustled, out-rebounded, and out-played for all 48 minutes"
I didn't see the outfit but I knew you guys were clowns.
4 months ago
I tend to agree with the above comment, although I don't see the point in name-calling. I also don't see the point in examining calls and no-calls that happened with ample amounts of time left in the game. Admit, the only one that really mattered was Barry's final shot. That's it. That's the controversy. There's a big difference between a no-call with 2 seconds left and a no-call in the 3rd or beginning of the 4th quarter, for instance.
Focusing on Barry's alleged travel might actually mean something if this were college basketball. When has anyone ever created an uproar over a travel in the NBA? They don't exist. If travels were called there would be a turnover on nearly every possession.
Bottom line: NBA officials have been on thin ice since Tim Donaghy tried to single-handedly bring down the league (and probably before that). All we ask is that the game doesn't end in total controversy and a heated debate. That's it. Last nights officials couldn't get that job done. A foul is a foul, whether it's with 20 minutes left or two seconds. It's all the same. Barry shouldn't have to flail his arms wildly or scream at the top of his lungs to get that call. It's funny how we criticize the Spurs for their constant flopping and the one time they don't flop we (and Barkley) claim they should have. Notice a bit of inconsistency there?
All that being said, Horry should've had the ball in his hands :)
4 months ago
Nobody is mentioning how the Spurs benefited in the exact same situation last year in the Finals when Bowen grabbed LeBron on a three at the buzzer and there was no call.
That's on top of everything that you just mentioned.
4 months ago
Well I gave up on them in that last 58 sec. They were just out played, if they couldn't hit 3 pointers they don't win and those just were not falling and so did the Spurs. Don't matter about the fouls, the free throws and so on, I have to say it as much as it hurts, ahahhhhhh, the better team did win. But there is hope, right? LOL, GO SPURS GO!!!
4 months ago
How many free throws did the spurs miss? This basketball fundamental is so basic yet its one these multi-million
dollar mental midgets cannot grasp, or should I say palm. GO SPURS !
4 months ago
the spurs did lose the game because of that no call. if the refs called the foul the spurs could of won it with three free throws or send he game to overtime with two free throws. we know the nba wants the lakers to go back to the nba finals.
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