I've been watching this over and over each year since the 80's. The refs wont change. The players need to adapt. And yes, the coach too.
LeBron needs to learn how to "sell" fouls like Harden does. He gets whacked every single drive, and instead of "taking it like a man" he needs to pressure the refs by flopping, shouting, or whatever. No need for and-1's. Make the no-call a non-possibility.
JR needs to learn to elbow down low, not in the face, and in general be more cool. Suspensions for starters are simply not worth it.
David needs to find the right moment for a T. Needs to draw the line for the guys, the refs, the crowd, and the media. When a guy injures your player on purpose and doesn't get ejected, or at least a T, and you don't "flip out" - you're sending the message that it's ok. And he saw it clearly.
What Perkins did to Crowder is how you win in the playoffs. You hit back harder.
Iman was extraordinary BTW. The game could've easily gone the other way if not for him.
can someone explain to me why at the end of the cavs game when Isaiah thomas hit both lebron and the ball while lebron was inbounding, why that wasnt reviewed?
can someone explain to me why at the end of the cavs game when Isaiah thomas hit both lebron and the ball while lebron was inbounding, why that wasnt reviewed?
Go check the replay and see if it's this guy who most of the time wont call any fouls committed on LeBron.
If it is, now you know he's the worst ref in the league and REMEMBER HIS FUCKING FACE AND EXPECT MORE NON CALLS IN FUTURE CAVS GAMES.
just a few general vexations, which may be a hangover fueled rant of sorts, but nonetheless:
1. the subject of officiating will be in the spotlight for the rest of the playoffs, especially if love misses a considerable amount of time. this is the last thing the nba wants.
2. the second to last thing the nba wants is to have some scrub team from the east get to the finals and get their clocks cleaned by whoever emerges from the west, which is exactly what will happen if anyone that is not cleveland makes it to the finals.
3. if the nba is smart, they will give JR Smith a token one game suspension and say nothing more about it. the last thing the league wants is to levy a major suspension and call further examination into how poorly officiated that series really was. david stern was dogged mercilessly for the way he protected nba refs from any sort of scrutiny, much of which was deserved. the last thing adam silver wants or needs is to have the entire playoffs marred when people go back and look at that series, and how that officiating crew had zero control over what was going on, all by their own making.
I didn't think they called this a foul, but apparently they did.
This series is the total opposite of Bulls Bucks. Last game they went to review literally every other call for signs of a cheap shot to keep the game under control. Gotta find a middle ground.