"Wrecking Ball" Draymond Green played by his own set of rules in the 2nd half of WCF Game 3, and this nonsense needs to stop. Dray's idea is that he is the best defensive player, but that idea is only supported if he gets the a wrestler's license to whack Blazer players. These are the NBA Playoffs; the NBA needs to stop this. The major factor that beat us in this game is the severely flawed referee calls that allowed Dray Green to take over the game with strongly physical fouls. Steve Kerr called him the "wrecking ball," which he was, more than 18 times that I noted grabbing, pushing, pulling, hacking, and kicking several Blazers. Dray should have fouled out in the 3rd Q, which would have changed the outcome. On our home floor, Dame, CJ, Mo, Chief, Meyers, Seth, Zach, and Evan were fouled by Dray. And every screen that I saw Dray execute was a moving screen that should have been called a foul. This failure to have a game called consistently and by the NBA rules at the Moda Center is one that the Blazer coaches need to correct. It does not make sense to be passive about having a professionally competent job done by the refs on the Moda Center court. Often during this WCF series, Dray, Klay, Bell, Jerebko, Looney, and others have hard fouled us without being called. Looney landing on Dame causing separated ribs is an example where there was not even a foul called. The NBA needs to attempt to protect players in the Playoffs in general, and should be criticized for allowing anyone to act like a wrecking ball instead of a basketball player. If Blazer coaches will be assertive, rather than passive, about getting us quality consistent jobs from refs for the upcoming games, we still have a chance to win the WCF and NBA Championship! Now is the time to see a balanced refereeing performance on our home court, and the win that will result when Dray is constrained to abide by NBA rules. Let's make Dray follow the rules and beat GSW!
We need to make a report about exactly how many points referee calls cost us and send it to the league.
Closing games out in the playoffs is what separates the good teams from the champs. I think we are close to being finals contenders(especially if GSW loses key pieces this offseason), but we absolutely need to figure this out before we can make the leap.
After watching Game On and reviewing WCF Game 3, the stealing of the game by the refs is more emphatic! The Steph fantom foul on the swish3 against Meyers is clearly a Steph flop, as Meyers did not touch him--there was no foul. And the Steph phantom foul on the swish3 against Zach was another Steph flop, as Zach did not touch him--there was no foul. That is enough to determine the outcome, not counting the fouls of Dame on drives and jumpers that should have been called for ref consistency. With a level playing field, we can beat GSW. Let's do it!
Reviewing the BBallBreakdown Coach Nick video highlights the fact that non-calls of the fouls of Dame have cost us the last 2 WCF games. Dame is obviously being fouled on his drives to the basket by Dray Green and Looney, and those fouls were not called. Dame was obviously fouled as Nick and commentators remarked by Klay on the swish3 attempt that the refs called a non-shooting foul. These are reffing errors that sting stronger the more that you review them. We should have won both 2 and 3! Instead of writing it off as good defense when Dame is grabbed and hacked by GSW, we should be standing firm and asking for replays to get to the correct call. Let's be aggressive in insisting on correct calls, as well as aggressive on defense and scoring, and win Game 4!
I've been saying for years: GSW are living off Kerr's cynical approach - "if we do moving screens and play dirty every play, they won't blow the whistle every play, especially if it's pretty". The other day i heard Bill Simmons talk before this round even started "It's impossible to beat them, they throw moving screens at you all game long". And Simmons is probably the biggest GSW and KD ass kisser in the media. I just don't understand why more coaches of weak teams don't do moving screens and "late" screens (aka blocking fouls) on EACH play. When we play some teams they literally hold Dame and CJs arms, why not do that too?
It's pretty blantant when we get called for a momentum changing moving screen on one of our bigs who has the biggest potential to effect the outcome and then the very next play they commit one even worse with no call. It's times like this I wish the whole home crowd would storm the court and forfeit the game. Being a fan of the NBA is an abusive relationship, giving you just enough love to keep coming back.
There's a secret ongoing investigation which entails Zach Collins and his dad having sex with all the wives of NBA refs.
The refs and the NBA are complicit in fixing games in order to facilitate how they want games and series to go. Disgraced ref Tim Donaghy already told us this. They are doing it out in the open because who can do anything about it? Fans can complain but it changes nothing. There is no accountability when it comes to the officials or higher ups in the NBA. The officials were calling fouls early for the team they wanted to win/give the advantage to and getting to the line and in the bonus, while the other team gets very few free throws if any. Then in tbe second half calling on the floor fouls to make the numbers look more even. But the free throw discrepancies were there. If you look the bias/fixing is easy to see. In this series the officials have been letting the Blazers have free throws in the first half then letting GS foul the shit out of us in the 3rd and 4th quarters without calling it. The last part of the fourth the refs refuse to call anything on GS. It's a sad affair. The only reason I watch is for the Blazers. Who knows maybe one year it will be Portland's turn. Unlikely but who knows. I don't think Portland was supposed to beat OKC or Denver. But, they did and now the refs are making sure they don't have a chance at beating GS by controlling the games. The Lakers had a turn. The Spurs. Then it was the age of Lebron. Now the Warriors. Their time will end before long. Who will the NBA pick next? The Blazers? Denver? Houston? Milwaukee? Toronto? Another Lebron era? Stay tuned
Was sure Blazers would win game 3 until just before tip Pierce said the line has moved favoring GS. I knew instantly we'd lose and sure enough Meyers was called for a BS foul seconds into the game.
I don't think there's any conspiracy theory. The league benefits more from a longer series than a sweep. In 2017, a lot of people were commenting on how much revenue was being lost by the Warriors and Cavaliers essentially sweeping their way towards the Finals. Whether or not you think the league wants the Warriors in the Finals, they certainly wouldn't want a 4-5 game series in the Western Conference Finals.
I don't know if you watched it, but there's a clip from the Pistons playoffs run in the mid 2000's. A Pistons player scored a basket in the last minute, it wasn't particularly meaningful, he just kept the spread of Pistons up by 8 or something and the ref told that player on the out of bounds play "You just saved my ass there".
Sometimes I’ll be watching a bad game and suddenly have this epiphany: “I am watching WWE wrestling right now” The refs are just so blatantly, insanely bad sometimes that I’m just floored by it. In game 3 I heard this exchange from the commentators: Douche 1: “Oh, that looked like a clear moving screen from the Warriors” Douche 2: “Yeah...but Portland has got to be better” What does that even mean? ESPN is totally complicit also, by muzzling their commentary and refusing to show replays of bad calls.
Watching the replay of WCF Game 4 tonight it is clear that wrecking ball Dray plays determined the loss as the refs did what I started this thread to highlight. On the OT last play, Dray fouled Dame and that should have meant the FT that would have won the game. Dray also fouled Meyers on the lob dunk play and that call would have also probably won the game. There were fouls during the game by Dray and by Looney that ruined scoring opportunities for Dame, CJ, Evan, and Seth that could have resulted on FT to win the game. GSW had the Dray wrecking ball rules in force on our home court. That is the terrible reason we did not win Game 4, or Game 3. In the NBA Playoffs, it will be a point of great interest to watch whether the refs will make Dray play Basketball instead of wrecking ball. Although Dray has excellent passing skills, hustle, and a knack for being in the right place at critical times, he would not be so outstanding on defense if he had to abide by the same rules that should apply to all NBA players. On intensive review, Dray would not be among the best NBA defensive players. Perhaps we will learn more about Dray Green in the Finals.
Dare to dream, swish3. Maybe this series will finally unmask the five-year scam that no one caught onto until the crooked refs stole a series from Portland.
