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[JSD]

Calls down the stretch were bad. Particularly Batum out of bounds play where MWP clearly fouled him, then the Batum three point shot reviewed and still called a 2... frustrating...


On another note, NBA tv has some of the worst commentators imaginable.

It's clearly a 3... what's the sense of reviewing it if your going to overturn a correct call... and Matthews was clearly fouled in front if ref

Really frustrating because we were robbed of a potential epic finish

[JSD]

Another thing, the Lakers will make the playoffs. Not because of the refs but because of their talent and the fact that they're finally playing with some urgency.

[syfy9]

Another thing, the Lakers will make the playoffs. Not because of the refs but because of their talent and the fact that they're finally playing with some urgency.

I disagree. The Rockets, Warriors, and Jazz are all legit teams. The Blazers aren't going down without a fight either.

There's no guarantee they'll make the playoffs anymore.

You saw Golden State tonight. The Rockets are a top 5 scoring team in the NBA - they'll get their wins. The Jazz have a good, well balanced roster w/ Mo Williams coming back soon. Odds are not in the Lakers' favor.

[timobusa]

Another thing, the Lakers will make the playoffs. Not because of the refs but because of their talent and the fact that they're finally playing with some urgency.

I disagree. The Rockets, Warriors, and Jazz are all legit teams. The Blazers aren't going down without a fight either.

There's no guarantee they'll make the playoffs anymore.

You saw Golden State tonight. The Rockets are a top 5 scoring team in the NBA - they'll get their wins. The Jazz have a good, well balanced roster w/ Mo Williams coming back soon. Odds are not in the Lakers' favor.

Yeah I hear ya but, just watch how it will play out.
Lakers will go on 7 to 10 game winning streaks.

As much as Stern wants the Lakers to make the playoffs.
I'm predicting (hoping) they will be 1 or 2 games behind the 8th seed.

[CroCorvus]

Well actualy it has something to do with the way they play recently. They been giving the rock to Dwight more, and teams has to double him down low. So it opens up much more space for cutting, and also every team likes to foul terrible FT shooter like Howard.
Lakers are veteran team, they know that the time is now to win gamen, and all little bs that was going on inside the team, chemistry issues, they forgot all of that because they are playoff team and they are the lakers, so of course they wan't to be in the playoffs...
All in all, i don't think so that the league and refs are in there helping them to get that eight spot. I say eight spot because i don't think so thet they can catch houston. Jazz will drop down...i wish i was wrong but they will catch it..

[pearljammer10]

FT attempts
Memphis 29, Orlando 9

I know everyone has fun with Laker conspiracy theories, but games like this happen every night, like the example cited above.  Did the league conspire to have Memphis win tonight? 

Also, wouldn't it have made much more sense for the league to start this weeks (or months) ago to put the Lakers in a better seed and in less danger of a Round 1 exit (if they do make the playoffs)?

A conspiracy starting in late February to get a top franchise a #8 seed is a pretty weak conspiracy.

Don't be naive

Calls against Boston were absurd the other night too. Kobe had more fouls on him than did any of the Celtics combined for awhile during the first half of the game

Yep. sterNBA is at it again.

Houston and Golden State, the two teams playing tonight that the Lakers are chasing in the playoff race, both won.  Golden State won in an OT game.

So the Lakers gained ground on neither team.  What an awesome conspiracy concocted by the NBA.  Simply genius!

Doesn't matter. Wait for it, Houston and Golden State and Utah will lose most of its games in the next month or so.

Do you think that Houston/Golden State/Utah aren't making the playoffs for actual basketball related reasons or because you think the NBA is rigged?

I'm with celts fan in this argument.

I also think the lakers will make the playoffs simply because they are better than the warriors, rockets, or jazz.

[TheFlex]

Or maybe they're just playing better...? Look, I'm as big on the Celtics and as down on the Lakers as one can be, but a team with Nash, Kobe and Howard is going to start playing better at some point (despite the injury to Pau and the abominable D'Antoni choice). They win a few games and all of a sudden Stern is trying to force them in? Slow down. Yeah, the Lakers, Heat, Knicks, Celtics (much to your shock), Bulls, etc. are going to be on the right side of some bad calls. But I bet you the FT differential in last night's game was more the skill of the Lakers, and the skill of guys like Kobe to draw fouls, as a previous posted mentioned.

[TripleOT]

Unless Stern tells a ref to take a baseball bat to James Harden's knee, the Lakers aren't making the playoffs. 

Houston has 24 games left.  If they go 12-12, the Lakers will have to go 17-9 to pass them.  Houston has only 10 road games remaining, including trips to Sacto, Phoenix twice, Orlando, and Dallas. I'm guessing that the Rockets win at least 14 more games, forcing the Lakers to go 19-7.  It will be stunning if the Lakers can put that many wins together with a team that's can easily be derailed by more injuries to Nash and Howard.   

[D Dub]

In Dallas. 
FTA:   LA 31,  Dal 19

And an unwarranted T against Dirk down the stretch for complaining after an obvious blown call. 


I think the league has just as much urgency as LA does right now.   The storyline (Buss, Howard, underdog etc) is gold, without them ratings drop exponentially. 
So, I'm going to keep track of these last games.   Interested to see if they out-FT everyone they play and coninue to get benefit of calls like we've now seen against Batum & Dirk in successive games. 

[Adelaide Celt]

Just saw that the last game for the season is Houston @ LA Lakers...

[pearljammer10]

FT attempts
Memphis 29, Orlando 9

I know everyone has fun with Laker conspiracy theories, but games like this happen every night, like the example cited above.  Did the league conspire to have Memphis win tonight? 

Also, wouldn't it have made much more sense for the league to start this weeks (or months) ago to put the Lakers in a better seed and in less danger of a Round 1 exit (if they do make the playoffs)?

A conspiracy starting in late February to get a top franchise a #8 seed is a pretty weak conspiracy.

Don't be naive

Calls against Boston were absurd the other night too. Kobe had more fouls on him than did any of the Celtics combined for awhile during the first half of the game

Yep. sterNBA is at it again.

Houston and Golden State, the two teams playing tonight that the Lakers are chasing in the playoff race, both won.  Golden State won in an OT game.

So the Lakers gained ground on neither team.  What an awesome conspiracy concocted by the NBA.  Simply genius!

Doesn't matter. Wait for it, Houston and Golden State and Utah will lose most of its games in the next month or so.

Do you think that Houston/Golden State/Utah aren't making the playoffs for actual basketball related reasons or because you think the NBA is rigged?

I'm with celts fan in this argument.

I also think the lakers will make the playoffs simply because they are better than the warriors, rockets, or jazz.

I've made my argument before and I am not afraid to bold it again.

[Celtics4ever]

Anyone who thinks the refs do not influence games don't know the rules.   They blow calls all the time and influence games.

NBA where refs matter, a lot.

[timobusa]

Anyone who thinks the refs do not influence games don't know the rules.   They blow calls all the time and influence games.

NBA where refs matter, a lot.

Yep.
Agreed.

The sterNBA wants a good story.
Whats a better plot than, Buss death, Howard in LA, Kobe chasing MJ, Elite franchise on the verge of not making the playoffs..

There will be a ton of blown calls in the Lakers favor.

If ya'll don't believe it, you're blind.

[celtsfan84]

Anyone who thinks the refs do not influence games don't know the rules.   They blow calls all the time and influence games.

NBA where refs matter, a lot.

Yep.
Agreed.

The sterNBA wants a good story.
Whats a better plot than, Buss death, Howard in LA, Kobe chasing MJ, Elite franchise on the verge of not making the playoffs..

There will be a ton of blown calls in the Lakers favor.

If ya'll don't believe it, you're blind.

So are you saying that the Lakers are now going to win the championship?  Because a first round exit would make for a pretty weak and pointless conspiracy. 

Odd that the "rigged" and "fixed" NBA has two Western Conference perennial powers in San Antonio and Oklahoma City, two of its smallest markets, huh?

Why has the NBA sent San Antonio to the Finals 4 times since 1999?  The Lakers draw much better ratings than the Spurs.

For all of the conspiracy theorists, can you explain what the actual conspiracy is?  When did it start?  Who is involved?  Why is it so ineffective?  Why did the NBA decide to have the Lakers lose so quickly in each of the last two years? Is Boston involved?  Why do you watch "fixed" games? So many questions, so little answers.

Calling someone else blind doesn't explain the conspiracy.  Please explain.

[scaryjerry]

Yawn

Why do you watch if you believe this to be true?