Game 2/3/4 - Western Conference Finals

This is a combo (and long) post as I caught the games on the fly during a FANtastic trip to the Oregon Coast.

Game 2, obviously, was a bummer. But, the officiating in that game set the tone for the Colorado games. Allegedly, these guys are the best. Officials: Steve Javie, Dick Bavetta, Marc Davis. But, they blew it on a basic technical issue - NOT a judgment call. On the late game tip, JR Smith flashed across Ariza's line of sight BEFORE THE BALL IS TOUCHED. This is a violation. Bavetta blew it BIG time.

And, then the (failed) judgment call. When a guy has the ball and a defender puts two hands in his back and PUSHES HIM TO THE FLOOR, that's a foul. But, they called it traveling (I guess). NBA officials are so far underwater. There has to be a better way...

@sportsguy33 What about getting the NBA to put 5 refs on the floor? Or would it be impossible to get enough qualified refs?

Seriously, why not? Put enough guys out there so that every position can be monitored, especially in the lane and under the basket. I think the only downside to this is truly finding enough qualified people.

Game 3, once again obviously, was sweet redemption. Again a lot of chippy stuff from the Nuggets. But, the Lakers responded and Kobe Diem brought the win. Those free throws at the end demonstrated that its still Mamba, BronBron, D-Wade, in that order, until he retires.

Game 4, was pathetic. Read TJ Simers diatribe (would love to hear the interchanges first hand) and he almost gets it. What PJ meant is that the Lakers were trying to respond to the Nugs energy (and were doing a good job) but each time a close call came up, it went the Nugs way. When you're on the road, fighting a good team, a heated home crowd and 3 (incompetent) officials, it can be "difficult". The fact that they had a realistic chance with 2 minutes left tells you this. But, a few missed shots, a couple bad calls, and a few showboats later, you have a 19 point loss.

This much I know, JR Smith will not make it out of LA alive if he tries those antics on Wednesday. Glad to hear that Jones got busted for his asinine tripping of Kobe. Once again, how is that not called? Kobe's got a spotlight on him EVERY play and the guy trips him at the top of the key IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR. Hey Ken Mauer, Bill Spooner, and Bennett Salvatore, what exactly were you looking at? Clearly, not the obvious flagrant foul committed right in front of you.

And, then the (obviously not a) flagrant on Bynum. This was a game changer. Instead of an iffy pair of freebies and a chance to get to single digits, the Nugs get 2 PLUS the ball. This is bad. When the league "fixes" this insanity, how is the momentum returned to the Lakers? That truly bogus call swung the game squarely back to Denver. Who knows what happens if he misses those two, Lakers bomb a 3 and JR Smith self-combusts rather than hitting those 3's? Well, apparently what happens is the NBA nails the affected team's coach for 25 large while saying "oops".

I'm wondering now who's going to be choking on the whistles in Game 5. I must admit that this is the first time I've been truly concerned about which ref is calling the game. If Wunderlich is anywhere near downtown LA, there will be serious problems.

I'm beginning to understand what Mark Cuban was saying. The Nuggets actually are the lesser team and they are trying to make up for it by being overly physical - not just w/Lakers, plus previously with the Mavs and in the regular season. Houston got quite far playing that kind of game. Its up to the Lakers to respond appropriately - not by cheap shots but by playing an aggressive, efficient game. We'll see if they can.