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NBA Finals Blog: Mavericks vs. Heat, Game 5, and the worst referee call I’ve ever seen
I turned 16 my sophomore year of high school and started driving. As such, I needed an income. A buddy said he made good money refereeing kids’ sports. So I joined him and started refereeing.
On day one of training, they taught us about positioning, went over some rules that were a little tricky, ran some drills with us.
At the end, they sat us down and said if you forget everything else, remember these two things:
1) Don’t let a game get so out of hand kids are getting hurt. 2) Don’t decide a game at the free throw line unless the player gets absolutely mugged — no one wants to see you, the ref, decide the game. Let the players decide it.
It’s one of the most basic tenets of officiating, and not a very difficult one. I’m not that bright, but I had a pretty good grasp on it as a youngster.
Now, I realize that this isn’t YMCA basketball — it’s the NBA. And NBA officials are under a lot more pressure.
But dealing with pressure is part of the job of being an NBA official.
When a player is doubleteamed and out of control, you don’t bail him out by calling a foul, even when he is fouled.
You ESPECIALLY don’t when that player is touch fouled.
You REALLY ESPECIALLY don’t when that player isn’t even touched.
You REALLY REALLY ESPECIALLY don’t with 2 seconds left. In overtime.
You REALLY REALLY ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY don’t in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
But the Joey Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, and Joe Derosa crew decided from the tip they were going to decide this game. And they did, giving Wade the call with 2 seconds left.
Dwayne Wade personally shot the same number of free throws as the Mavericks. And Miami shot 17 in the 3rd quarter alone, to Dallas’ 0.
Some of those free throws can be attributed to Hack-A-Shaq. That’s fine. But the referees called touched fouls on guys guarding Dwayne Wade all night, and let Shaquille O’Neal throw elbows as much as he wanted, and when guarding Dirk at the 3 point line nearly pushes him out of bounds without getting fouls called.
Call me a Dallas homer, call me a whiner. That’s fine. But look at the replay of the Dwayne Wade drive with 2 seconds left in overtime, and tell me the officials didn’t determine the outcome of the game.
Now, the Mavericks did their share of blowing things. The game never should have come down to an official’s call — Josh Howard had a great game but missed two free throws, Dirk missed another key free throw, etc. They missed some chances. And Josh Howard’s calling of a timeout between free throws was yet another disaster (even though there are different stories on that — Howard says he made the signal for a timeout, looking at his coach, to confirm that’s what he wanted, but never said anything — and Joey Crawford says he asked for it twice). They could have won despite the officials.
But it’s hard to play 8-5.
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Mon June 19th, 2006 12:25 am
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You’re not a homer or a whiner. That was a genuinely infuriating call. Miami regularly mugged Dirk and Howard down the stretch of the 4th, but apparently just invading Wade’s personal space is considered a foul. Well, now you know what it felt like to be a Knicks fan in the Jordan era. If Miami wins the series, the refs should be lynched.
You make excellent points. As good a game as this was, the ending really spoiled it. I guess now that Wade is being compared to Jordan, he’s getting the same calls, too.
I’ve come to the conclusion that there is one, and just one, telltale of an NBA superstar.
They can break the rules with impugnity.
By this measure Miami has two and Dallas has zero. And everyone knows “you can’t win in the NBA finals without a superstar”. Or was it “you can’t win in the Finals without a little help from the guys in the grey jerseys”? I never was good with platitudes.
Typo - “And Josh Howard’s calling of a free throw was yet another disaster.” He called a time out, during free throws. We all know what you meant, but I’m telling you anyway for accuracy’s sake.
The media empire needs credibility.
Use the anger to defeat Heat at home. Go Mavs!!!
Brian: I finally, 10 years later, feel your pain. It’s so frustrating to have the referees become blinded by a player’s skill. Yes, Dwayne Wade is an amazing player. You won’t hear me say otherwise. But that doesn’t mean fouls on him are different than on Udonis Haslem.
Chad: Indeed. I wish they’d give Dirk those same calls. The refs are letting Miami mug Dirk at will.
Adam: Great point. The Jordan argument supports you. I’ll be checking your blog for more on your point…
Mike: Oops. Thanks for pointing that out…
Yadong: That’s right, brotha! Let’s get that win! Go Mavs!!
The referees as well as the nba top fat cats already have determined who they want to win before the game starts. Now dalas has lost the finals becuase of this bullshit. At least when jordan got fouled he usually got touched and I don’t ever remember him getting a call with 1.0 seconds left. Anyways tonight was game six and once again with the game hanging in balance the referees decide to call an imaginary foul on dirk with 20 seconds left. HOw the fuck is dewayne wade stubling around then elbowing dirk in the chest a foul On dirk get the fuck out of here I don’t think I’ll be watching the finals next year I think I’ll give the nba a break and stick with nfl at least they have instant replay and yes they still get it wrong.
And by the way that’s about as unbiased an opinion your gonna get becuase I really didn’t care who won the finals as long as it was fair and exciting they took both of those out most of the series after game two.
It was rigged!
Vote here http://www.riggednba.com
Texas teams are not the Darlings of the NBA. Houston was not supposed to win and the calls were proof of that. When the Rockets would start to pull away from NY or Orlando, strange calls would jump up to slow their momentum. San Antonio had a similar uphill climb against NY in it’s 1st championship win. Now the Mavs fall victim to the refs or the NBA preference or everybodies distaste for Cuban. Whatever the reasons the effort by the refs is unmistakeable to those of us who know the rules well.
This will all end with crying.
David Stern and his cronies swiped a title; how can we deny this when years later a referee is going to prison for betting on games he officiated. The truth usually comes out given time. Stern and the officials vendetta against Mark Cuban reared its head and the Mavs have never been the same since. Look at the call on Marquise Daniels standing five feet away from Wade and never touching him. Then watch the look Salvatore gives him for looking perplexed. What a joke.