NBA / Feb 11, 2009 / 8:20 am

How Bad Were These Calls?

By Andrew Katz

The only YouTube highlight of the embarrassing calls from last night’s Cavs/Pacers game is the official NBA TV Game Recap. It’s no surprise that they don’t even give you a replay on either one of the questionable whistles. It’s a shame that you can’t see that more than once, but we get three looks at LeBron pinning a helpless T.J. Ford on the glass…

Do you think these were bad calls?

Posted in NBA |

30 Responses to “How Bad Were These Calls?”

1. February 11th, 2009 at 8:23 am

   Korver says:

   compensation that’s all

2. February 11th, 2009 at 8:28 am

   Spliff 2 My Lou says:

   Equally bad. I don’t like last second foul calls unless there’s a undeniably obvious foul. I think justice was served on the second foul call on Lebron. I didn’t like either call but at least the refs called it both ways.

3. February 11th, 2009 at 8:28 am

   jzsmoove says:

   borderline calls to begin with. and yes refs compensate, Korver you are right.

4. February 11th, 2009 at 8:37 am

   Kermit The Washington says:

   This is what I’m talking about….everytime there’s a blatantly horrible call made, and the network refuses to show the replay, and the announcers don’t even talk about it….you can’t help but think something’s going on, right? I noticed that in the Lakers/Cavs game…Van Gundy will argue and complain about ANYTHING, but every once in a while there’s this REALLY bad call and not only is there no replay but Van Gundy totally keeps his mouth shut! What’s THAT all about?

5. February 11th, 2009 at 8:44 am

   Rafa23 says:

   so why did mike brown cry like a baby about the last call when the call before that was almost the same?
   thats so laughable and pathetic

6. February 11th, 2009 at 8:49 am

   izzy says:

   holy shit…. the cavs just need to get over it… the call was made both ways. Whats the big deal. Its not a blatantly “bad” call. It was a foul. The foul was given both ways. End of story.

7. February 11th, 2009 at 8:50 am

   FK in T-Oh says:

   Mike Brown is an overgrown baby.

   Lebron needs a tougher coach, someone to harness the ferocity.

8. February 11th, 2009 at 8:53 am

   will says:

   You can’t see anything from these replays. Granger sends Bron out of bounds with a hip check and he couldn’t even touch the ball. Lebron barely touches granger and takes the ball away. Grainy youtube video is really not something to trust when criticizing refs and coaches.

   That being said the refs did the right thing; if your gonna call one you have to call both.

   Whats really laughable and pathetic are your criticisms when you did not watch the game and make your judgments from a small poor quality highlight with no replays.

9. February 11th, 2009 at 8:55 am

   Sam I Am says:

   To be fair…

   How many times have players pleaded that NO CALLS to be called OR demanded to be heard for some wack stuff.

   PLUS LeBron is NOT worthy of getting a pass from doing wrong. He gets people in trouble and now whines and can’t stay on the court when he has a foul called on him.

   BOOOOOOO … Sore Loser !!!

10. February 11th, 2009 at 9:07 am

    TJ says:

    I don’t think either was a foul, although the last one was even less of a foul. There wasn’t much contact there.

11. February 11th, 2009 at 9:09 am

    TJ says:

    I can’t blame any coach for complaining and whining though. The way the NBA is, you work the refs and get your teams calls later in the game (or another game with the same refs). Its stupid, but the refs fall for that shit.

12. February 11th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    ShadyKidd says:

    It really is not that hard to see that the refs made a mistake on the first foul, which forced them to call the second foul to be fair. Both should have been no-calls. The Pacers win either way. ’nuff said

13. February 11th, 2009 at 9:35 am

    karizmatic says:

    Yes they were both bad calls, ie even if they were fouls you don’t call that. The right team won the game as a result.

14. February 11th, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Ric Hardwood says:

    Both fouls were pretty identical so if LBJ can get the call, Granger should as well… If the refs didn’t call that foul on Granger first, then Mike Brown can complain… I don’t blame Mike Brown tho’ he’s just backing up his boy… In my opinion, they should’ve been both no-calls…

15. February 11th, 2009 at 9:50 am

    SJ says:

    I was at the game last night. Both calls were bad and should not have been made. It should have been ended with TJ Ford’s last second bucket. The whole stadium erupted in boos when the first bad call was made. Go Pacers!

16. February 11th, 2009 at 9:57 am

    Heckler...formerly 'yallallreadyknow' says:

    bad calls. terrible.

    but consistent.

17. February 11th, 2009 at 10:00 am

    E$ says:

    I love the Cavs announcers when LBJ was fouled, it was all good. Then the foul is called on LBJ, “I don’t understand that call” lol

18. February 11th, 2009 at 10:32 am

    Mamba says:

    Such a brutal way to end a game. The refs more or less made an exchange of crap calls on both ends. When both guys are going for the ball on each play you have to let them sort it out. Last play of the game I almost wish the officials would just take a seat on the bench. Unless a dude gets absolutely mugged, put the whistles away!

    It would have been so much worse though if they hadnt called the last foul on Bron. Mike Brown really did not have a case to make at the end of the game. Plus Cleveland is not going to win very often with Bron scoring 47.

19. February 11th, 2009 at 11:15 am

    The Answer says:

    They were both no calls, but to make two bad calls is just awful. Payton’s right, refs are starting to lose control and really f the game up.

    Here’s a question. After watching Jim O’brien flip out it was almost predictable that the refs would call a foul on the cavs to make up for it. That was obvious. With only 0.4 left why wouldn’t Mike Brown tell his team to not even come within THREE FEET of anyone on the Pacers. There’s no way Lebron needed to be on Granger that close. I know Granger’s money, and I love him, but don’t even go near him! Lebron could have just stayed by the rim and jumped to disrupt the play. No need what so ever to be that close to a person with 0.4 left. If they beat you on a D-Fish miracle shot then so be it, but to foul in that situation, good or bad call, is awful.

20. February 11th, 2009 at 11:24 am

    LakeShow84 says:

    I’ve seen Lebron get away with worst..

    Bigups to O’Brien for calling the same play on the other end lol both guys fouled but Lebron thought he would get away with it because of his status.. Like the Answer said Lebron didnt really need to be near Granger, just the rim and jump to disrupt the actual play.. it looked like he made a play on Granger..

    oh well i only saw it once.. who cares?? worst happens in the NBA.. But since it happened to you know who now we have to deal with this BS..

21. February 11th, 2009 at 11:24 am

    LakeShow84 says:

    Still neither foul shouldve been called..

22. February 11th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    dagwaller says:

    Both should have been non-calls. I’m glad that Indiana got a chance to win it – that’s what, one close win on the season for them?

23. February 11th, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    Bron AKA chocolate thunder says:

    I love how lebron freaks out meanwhile he just got THE SAME CALL…If anything the last play was MORE contact since he went up cornerback style and grabbed grangers arm while going for the ball. On the play before it, granger just tipped the ball away with his right hand (so he couldn’t have really fouled bron) but lebron blatantly pulled his arm down the next play…and the cavs wanna complain? even if it was a terrible call, YOU JUST GOT THE SAME CALL AND WERE FINE WITH IT!! rub some dirt in it and suck it up.

24. February 11th, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    doc (i like kobe AND bron) says:

    To make one bad call is dickheadedness,to make two is downright retarded.Do refs get fined because they need to?And Mike Brown supposed to snap for his boy do yall watch the league for real or just need something to do at work.Every coach does that.

25. February 11th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    MissChick says:

    Shitty Calls for a Shitty coach and two shitty cities

26. February 11th, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    that's whats up says:

    the calls aren’t as bad as the video quality

27. February 11th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    wwill says:

    that’s what’s up, that’s whats up.

28. February 11th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    doc (might be going to Sixers or Warriors summerleague team) says:

    What do that HD at the top stand for Hardly definable?

29. February 11th, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    Frank says:

    Great call by O’Brien to run the same play, the refs had no choice, they had to call the foul…

30. February 12th, 2009 at 1:04 am

    thomasmmm says:

    remember the 2003 all-star game? kobe was “fouled” taking a desperation three, robbing michael of his last highlight:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3et6qAsOxo