Nate McMillan upset by officiating

[PapaG]

Nate's going to get a fine.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=6373352

DALLAS -- There was complaining about officiating after a playoff game at the American Airlines Center, and Mark Cuban wasn't anywhere near a microphone.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan was perturbed about the free throw disparity, particularly in the fourth quarter, in Game 1 versus the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs made 18 of 19 free throws in the final frame, while to the Trail Blazers went 1-for-2.

"The free throws, I just don't get that," McMillan said. "It's hard for our guys to know how to play out there when it's called a little different; 19 to two in the fourth quarter. And I felt like we were attacking, and guys really didn't know how to play with the fouls that were being called. A lot of touch fouls. I thought that took the momentum away and pretty much gave them control in the game."

Dirk Nowitzki didn't go to the line in the first three quarters, but he made all 13 of his attempts in the fourth. The Trail Blazers, by contrast, shot 13 free throws all game.

McMillan was puzzled about how the Trail Blazers could score 46 points in the paint -- the Mavs had only 18 -- but get so few fouls called.

"There were no calls in some situations," McMillan said. "But I thought we were being aggressive."

 

[yenniedn]

Good for Nate. I would've worded it even stronger than that. You know Phil would. Van Gundy would. And it isn't as if P.Allen wouldn't be more than happy to pick up the tab on his fine when he's sticking up for his team in what really was a bullshit foul situation.

 

[jlprk]

Nate's going to get a fine.

His logic is so clear that I don't think they can fine him.

 

[yenniedn]

His logic is so clear that I don't think they can fine him.

Logic has nothing to do with the NBA and its refs. You don't get to complain about the zebras, even in games like last night. I think it's pretty much an automatic fine.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Great job by Nate. The only waythis can go better for Portland is if the NBA suspends him for game 2

 

[yenniedn]

Great job by Nate. The only waythis can go better for Portland is if the NBA suspends him for game 2

Would you be available to fill in? Houston to Dallas is only about 4 hours, right? How much notice does Paul need to give you? And how much are you going to charge? Do you need a per diem? What size suit does the team need to have ready for you in the locker room? How do you want you name displayed on the locker: Man, Mediocre or just Mediocre Man?

 

[Paxil]

There was a play in the 4th quarter where Dirk came down... shoved Wallace on the floor... got the ball and jumped away from Wallace... Wallace not even touching him and Wallace was blown for a foul. The to add a little insult to injury... the ref makes a pushing motion with his hands to demonstrate what Wallace did... except... Wallace didn't touch him. Watched in in slow mo a few times.

Crazy stuff.

Dirk looks like he gets fouled on every play because he flails around like a spaz. There was a play where Batum played perfect D... hands straight up... Dirk runs right at him spins and knocks him backwards. Foul Batum. I am not sure why he doesn't do it every play... they would be champions.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Nate's 100% right. Phantom and touch fouls were called throughout the 4th quarter against us and they were, literally, arm hacking us at the other end with no calls at all. For Dallas to be a team that moves around the perimeter, while we attack the middle, to have a 19-2 FT advantage in the 4th quarter is as poor officiating as it can get. That's a 76-8 advantage for the entire game had the officiating gone on like that for the first 3 quarters. That's beyond whack.

 

[BlazerBeav]

There's no way to argue the officiating was consistent in the fourth quarter. There's no way to argue Nate's statements. It's as factual as can be.

 

[yenniedn]

In the game thread, right after we got the lead up to 6 and had momentum, I joked after Dallas immediately got two consecutive fouls in their favor that we could expect free throws for them on every possession from here on out. And sure enough, I think they did in fact get something like 4 to 6 straight trips down the court where we were called for questionable fouls while we got pounded on the other end with no fouls called for us.

I really don't like conspiracy theories and try my best not to get wrapped up in them but shit like I saw last night seriously make me wonder.

 

[Nate4Prez]

There was a play in the 4th quarter where Dirk came down... shoved Wallace on the floor... got the ball and jumped away from Wallace... Wallace not even touching him and Wallace was blown for a foul. The to add a little insult to injury... the ref makes a pushing motion with his hands to demonstrate what Wallace did... except... Wallace didn't touch him. Watched in in slow mo a few times.

Crazy stuff.

Dirk looks like he gets fouled on every play because he flails around like a spaz. There was a play where Batum played perfect D... hands straight up... Dirk runs right at him spins and knocks him backwards. Foul Batum. I am not sure why he doesn't do it every play... they would be champions.

There was also the phantom foul call on Marion, which Roy got to shot a free throw for with 1:22 left in the game (which he missed) and Portland got the ball back. All in all, I would say the officiating of last nights game was inconsistent. Sometimes they would call hard fouls, sometimes they would call ticky tack fouls, but overall I don't think either team received any bias by the refs.

If people are blaming the refs for last nights loss they need to check their homer card at the door. How about McMillan leaving in Brandon Roy for the last 5 minutes of the game instead of playing Camby, just watching a six point lead disappear?

 

[yenniedn]

There was also the phantom foul call on Marion, which Roy got to shot a free throw for with 1:22 left in the game (which he missed) and Portland got the ball back. All in all, I would say the officiating of last nights game was inconsistent. Sometimes they would call hard fouls, sometimes they would call ticky tack fouls, but overall I don't think either team received any bias by the refs.

If people are blaming the refs for last nights loss they need to check their homer card at the door. How about McMillan leaving in Brandon Roy for the last 5 minutes of the game instead of playing Camby, just watching a six point lead disappear?

It wasn't a phantom call. The replay angle they showed wasn't the best one but Marion was pulling Roy's jersey in the back to keep him from going around the pick. That's what the ref called. I think at that point they figured they'd given Dallas such a lopsided edge in free throws that they'd throw us a bone. And Roy missed the freebie.

 

[Paxil]

There was also the phantom foul call on

Absolutely I saw that... horrible call too... it was almost like the ref looked up to the board and saw the disparity in FTs and thought uh-oh....

That fact is that it is easier to game the game than to play good basketball... and players like Dirk are excellent at it. However... it really makes the game pretty unbearable to watch. I haven't watched a non-Blazer game in years.

 

[yenniedn]

There was also the phantom foul call on Marion, which Roy got to shot a free throw for with 1:22 left in the game (which he missed) and Portland got the ball back. All in all, I would say the officiating of last nights game was inconsistent. Sometimes they would call hard fouls, sometimes they would call ticky tack fouls, but overall I don't think either team received any bias by the refs.

If people are blaming the refs for last nights loss they need to check their homer card at the door. How about McMillan leaving in Brandon Roy for the last 5 minutes of the game instead of playing Camby, just watching a six point lead disappear?

I didn't see the last part of your post. Coaching decisions aside, are you going to call an almost 10 to 1 free throw disparity in the 4th good officiating? Or that Dirk shot more FT's in the 4th alone than the entire Blazer team did all game is OK?

 

[Public Defender]

There was also the phantom foul call on Marion, which Roy got to shot a free throw for with 1:22 left in the game (which he missed) and Portland got the ball back. All in all, I would say the officiating of last nights game was inconsistent. Sometimes they would call hard fouls, sometimes they would call ticky tack fouls, but overall I don't think either team received any bias by the refs.

You didn't watch the same game I did. I wouldn't say it was overwhelmingly lop-sided and an out-and-out game-changer, but the officiating was tilted toward the Mavericks and significantly so. Your one example of apparent Blazer favoritism notwithstanding.

If people are blaming the refs for last nights loss they need to check their homer card at the door. How about McMillan leaving in Brandon Roy for the last 5 minutes of the game instead of playing Camby, just watching a six point lead disappear?

Please check your own "I'm less biased than the rest of you" smug attitude at the door, if you wouldn't mind. It's certainly true that the Blazers' offense got stagnant and players got frustrated, and the Mavericks (especially Kidd and Nowitzki) made plays and converted free throws in the 4th quarter. But to say the officiating had nothing to do with the outcome is to avoid part of the story of this game out of a surplus of "I'm not biased" caution.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Dirk looks like he gets fouled on every play because he flails around like a spaz. There was a play where Batum played perfect D... hands straight up... Dirk runs right at him spins and knocks him backwards. Foul Batum. I am not sure why he doesn't do it every play... they would be champions.

this exactly, he is a flopping bitch, reminds me exactly of paul pierce actually. and yes, in the 4th i was saying to myself "self, if i were the mavs, i would just give it to dirk and have him fall into the lane this play so that he may shoot more free throws"....and then they did, and they did, and they did.

cant really blame the mavs for riding the hot hands of the officials though.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Would you be available to fill in? Houston to Dallas is only about 4 hours, right? How much notice does Paul need to give you? And how much are you going to charge? Do you need a per diem? What size suit does the team need to have ready for you in the locker room? How do you want you name displayed on the locker: Man, Mediocre or just Mediocre Man?

Depends on traffic

 

[julius]

my prediction for game 2 and the rest of the series onward:

In game 2 the Mavs will get a huge number of favorable calls, and shoot something like 30 more free throws in the game and win it. Then once it gets to Portland, game 3 will be blatantly Portland favorable, and Portland wins "going away". Then, thinking the team has momentum, fans are convinced they can win game 4. Then Mr favorable swings back to the Mavs, and they win game 4 with some non-calls and obvious superstar calls for Jason Kidd, Terry and Dirk. And after game 4 they return to Dallas to close the series up. And after doing this, the Mavs prove to the "doubters" that they mean business, and are "for reelz!" because they just beat the 'favored' team, and now they'll heap big challenge on the Lakers!!!!

Game 1 will be won by Dallas, and then the Lakers will steam-roll through the Mavs.

rinse and repeat.

 

[julius]

And then the Mavs will assume our role of being the refs' bitch against the Lakers.

Yep, and Dirk will whine like nobodies business, and their fans (esp Marc Cuban) will bring whining to historical levels. Which is saying a lot, considering we're on pace to do the same.

 

[RoyToy]

Apparently Mavs fans think it was fine since Dirk was being mauled the first 3 quarters.

Who actually thinks the better team won last night?

 

[maxiep]

In all his years as Blazer coach, I have never seen Nate this upset about the officiating. I don't think it's a playoff ploy; I think he's genuinely pissed.

We'll see how the game is officiated on Tuesday.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

If people are blaming the refs for last nights loss they need to check their homer card at the door. How about McMillan leaving in Brandon Roy for the last 5 minutes of the game instead of playing Camby, just watching a six point lead disappear?

Then explain a 29-2 discrepancy on FT's in the final quarter. Explain the several times replays showed our guys getting whacked across the arms with no calls and the phantom and touch calls against us. The #1 reason we lost was poor officiating.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

In all his years as Blazer coach, I have never seen Nate this upset about the officiating. I don't think it's a playoff ploy; I think he's genuinely pissed.

We'll see how the game is officiated on Tuesday.

I also think Nate handled it all with a fair amount of class.

 

[maxiep]

Read the comments: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4676552/portland-coach-complains-about-calls

It's nice to see that non-Blazer fans are in agreement.

 

[PapaG]

Read the comments: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4676552/portland-coach-complains-about-calls

It's nice to see that non-Blazer fans are in agreement.

Somebody needs to clue in those objective fans that it is all Nate's and Roy's fault.

 

[BBert]

Absolutely I saw that... horrible call too... it was almost like the ref looked up to the board and saw the disparity in FTs and thought uh-oh....

Roy was held before the ball was in-bounded. That's an automatic call, even if Doris Burke didn't see it.

 

[illmatic99]

Found this on realgm.

ESPN didn't show any of these replays.

[video=youtube;LJY6RUv5G8M]

 

[BBert]

Found this on realgm.

ESPN didn't show any of these replays.
[/video]

There were a number of plays I yelled at the TV that ESPN was too chicken shit to show the replay. I even dared them. They never responded.

 

[RoyToy]

ESPN probably didn't show the replays when Dirk wasn't even touched and a foul was called. I can think of two off the top of my head. KGW showed these plays.

Refs were a joke last night.

 

[THE HCP]

Why don't you fools watch OUR broadcast then! I DO THE FUCKING REPLAYS! I DECIDE WHAT TO REPLAY! I SHOWED THE DIRK FOUL PLAY 4 TIMES!!!