The Jazz-Lakers series has been a joke. The reason - all you need is a star and the referees will call the game for the star's team. It happens with the Spurs and Cavs all the time, and it's been atrocious for the Lakers this series. The Jazz do sometimes become a jump shooting team, but they were going to the hole last night and no calls were made. 43 free throws for the Lakers and 16 for the Jazz. Those numbers are just not right and I don't care how the NBA tries to rationalize it. Kobe's presence on the Lakers makes the refs call the game in the Lakers' favor. It's almost as if the NBA needs Kobe in the conference finals versus either Chris Paul or Duncan for the postseason to be a success.
As bad as the Jazz have looked in the first half in this series, it's amazing they are only losing by 10 points a game. When the games are played in Utah, the calls will be about even, and the Lakers will still cry and moan that they are getting a bad deal because how biased the games were called in L.A. The Lakers bitched in Games 1 and 2, so I don't think they will stop crying anytime soon. Hopefully, Gasol's period will be over by Game 3 so I don't have to see that "why me" face every time there is contact.
Regardless of the how unfair the games have been called, the Jazz are not out of this series. If they can find any kind of rhythm like they usually have, this team can win 2 straight in Utah and even this thing up. With just one evenly called game in either Game 1 or 2, it would be 1-1 anyway.
I could not agree with you more. That is my biggest complaint against the NBA vs the NFL. There are bad calls in the NFL too, but not for "star" players. If you even look at Kobe, you're getting a foul called on you. The NBA's rules and fouls seem to be up for interpretation. I actually enjoy playoff NBA basketball better because they seem to let them play more, but I would love some consistency.
The faces may change, but the song remains the same. Whether it's 1988 or 2008, the stars in the NBA will always get preferential treatment.
Did the Jazz get hit in the lane on missed shots? Yes. Did the Lakers draw fouls for far less contact? I think so. But the thing is, you expect that going in to a series like this. You have to be as close to perfect as possible to overcome it.
Not to say that it is right, it simply just is. And in this league, it will never change.
Imagine if the refs called every contact, every travel, carry, and charge according to the book. The games would be low scoring, no action, and very, very dull with the stars out early with foul trouble.
Vince McStern would never allow that. Because then, he would have an even worse product to sell than he does now.
Not to say that refs aren't sometimes biased or that plenty of bad calls aren't made or missed. But comparing Football to Basketball is just plain difficult. In football the main point of the game (at least for defense) is to hit the opposing team as hard as you can. In basketball, it's physical, but there's got to be a limit, because they don't wear pads like football players. So defining what is a foul in basketball is a much more difficult task. The refs have a difficult job and I think far too many people blame them for games lost when their team could have simply played a better game. Now saying that, there are still plenty of times when I get frustrated over ticky-tack fouls called for superstars and no-calls on a football tackle. It just seems to me that the Jazz didn't shoot the ball very well and lost both games by fairly large margins. So, in my personal opinion the Jazz lost these 2 games on their own, they simply have to play better to beat a team of the Lakers caliber.
alls i got to ask is...did u ever watch Mike Jordan? same thing could be said...check it out back in 89 in november...Jordan made 14 free throws in one game against....none other than the Utah Jazz. I mean come on....ill agree with you that rules are strict, but how many times have Lakers been screwed with calls...it happens, but as many times as it has so far...I don't think so....that is something the Jazz have to work on. also I mean its hard not to hate a team that boo'd a guy who went to a different team to help out his daughter... just plain wrong...u guys better hope he does not get boo'd again this time....it would be bad. good luck next game.
