The oft-maligned Webber played with both resolve and desperation, apparently intent on shedding his reputation as wilting in the big moment, with 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. It was a classless, unprovoked move that ultimately resulted in the Spurs winning the series. The controversy here is that many people believe Smith was fouled on at least one and as many as three times in that sequence. His sentencing is scheduled for next month. In many ways, ONeal had transformed refereeing in the post, due to his rare blend of height and girth, which meant nearly every play he was involved in turned into a tangle of limbs beneath the basket. This gets to the heart of the matter to me: despite the NBA's official claim that 95% of calls are correct over a season, there are just too many plays that are far from being clear cut wrong/right and many that fall into a gray area where even watching a play many times in slow motion you can make a case for different verdicts. The Magic two years later would be competing in the NBA Finals led by their young superstars in Shaq and Hardaway. It was allowed by the referees. The fact that the NBA let a technicality swing a championship is just flat-out wrong. Even without Jordan, the Bulls seemed destined to make it back to the NBA finals. It's believed this week's allegations are a way to show Donaghy is being cooperative with investigators. My personal favorite? Despite the questionable calls, the Kings were shooting well and entered the quarter tied at 75. That's right, they didn't get involved in the fights; they just stepped off of the bench. The Orlando Magic had just won the draft lottery in 1992, and as a result drafted Shaquille ONeal with the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft. But part of being an NBA fan is questioning the refs, who make dozens of difficult, subjective calls that often change the course of a game. This is probably the only call in NBA history to definitively swing a title, which is why it's so high on this list. WebWhat if the 2002 Sacramento Kings were not screwed by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? Then the Clippers pick became the first pick in the draft against all odds, and the NBA had again made basketball relevant in the state of Ohio. Mr. FISHER: Games are called differently every night. His shot missed. At first I was in agreement with Bill Walton that this was a "terrible call" but having watched the play over ten times in slow motion I changed it from 'dubious' to 'maybe' in my grading since it's one of those plays where I believe a case could be made for a defensive foul, an offensive foul, or even a dual fault let them play no call. He never struck me as someone particularly worried about competitive balance and fairness. Mutumbo sent out a tweet congratulating the Philadelphia 76ers on getting the first pick in the draft hours before the lottery was going to be televised. 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6: The Elbow The Sacramento Kings were in the drivers seat to knocking off a young exciting Los Angeles Lakers team Do you have a sports website? We had a chance and we blew it.. The free-throw advantage is one thing. Meanwhile, Donaghy alleges, the NBA was preparing to do just that. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. ONeal helped the Magic greatly improve just barely missing out on the playoffs in the 1992-93 NBA season. Convicted felon and former referee Tim Donaghy has come out and claimed that this game was rigged multiple times. But still, it was only one game, which is why it loses the No. The Cavaliers got LeBron James back over the summer as well. But what happened during those four nights in 2006 left a mark on the NBA's historical resum so big that it can never really be erased. Ray Allen still remembers, questions controversial Bucks . Game 1. The clock kept ticking. He added, "He may be willing to say anything to help his cause and he may believe these most recent allegations will help his agenda." Join our linker program. Michael Jordan was on a mission to win his sixth ring, but late in Game 6 the Utah Jazz looked poised to push the series to a seventh game. He broke the record for most games worked by an NBA official in 2006. In the final four games of the series Wade shot an average of 18 free throws per game. Every questionable call seems to involve either a big-market team or a star on one side and someone or some team of lesser note on the other. It had become obvious that Pauls patience had run thin in New Orleans, and he was ready to join a team that was in a large market. In its own way, that's worse, but still, I think for the time being we can feel pretty comfortable with the notion that NBA games are least intended to be determined by the players. The letter describes a 2002 playoff series that went seven games; the Western Conference finals was the only series to require seven games. Tim Donaghy also says Wide open from 18-feet, Bibby drilled the shot and unleashed a roar. Getting off of the bench. The Lakers were back-to-back defending champions at that point. Then they used their draft pick Andrew Wiggins as ammunition to acquire all star Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and the Cavs were now a championship contender. No one else has been charged with a crime. A former referee at the center of a gambling scandal has alleged that NBA referees rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to seven games. All of the pieces fit. Having watched it live and seen the replays several times, I can say that it doesn't fade with time. We present them here for purely educational purposes. They believe that the referees act in the best The series, it seemed, deserved nothing less. He created what is, to me, one of the most damning referee critiques on record, which prompted lots of follow-up.). The refs know what players are supposed to get calls, and I think they know who is expected to get the benefit of the doubt at the end of games. 15 Times The NBA Looked Fixed, 15. The match-up lived up to its billing. The game and the series ended not with a bang but with a free throw marathon whimper, as the Kings shot a lousy 16-30 from the free throw line, and saw their heralded role-players out-performed by the Lakers much mocked reserves. In a play between him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the five best players of all time, the tie is going to Kareem. Web2003 NBA Western Conference Finals Mavericks vs. Spurs League Champion: San Antonio Spurs. The buzzer sounded and the Lakers won, 100-99. The Pistons led the championshipseries 3 games to 2, and Isiah Thomas was putting on a show in Game 6. NPR's Tom Goldman reports. Meanwhile, the Kings cruised into the Western Conference semifinals to face a Dallas Mavericks squad it had dominated. Now we're talking. If they call it like theyre supposed to call it, the outcome will be the same it was tonight, ONeal said after the game. GOLDMAN: But yesterday, Pollard's comments were measured. What are your thoughts on the officiating? Donaghy's lawyer isn't commenting. Before you decide what you think about Beech's critique, please do read the whole thing. This series still sickens me. Sacramentos season ended just a few points short: Lakers 112-Kings 106. The conspiracy theory here is that the NBA wanted Ewing to landin a big market. Think about that for a minute. The officials awarded Wade free throws instead of an offensive foul, and the Heat went on to win their fourth straight game to win the title. Papers filed in court contain damning allegations by Donaghy that a 2002 playoff series was rigged by referees and that league officials encouraged refs to affect the outcome of games by calling fouls or, in other situations, not calling on fouls on star players. And people wonder how the Blazers blew that game. There is no contact whatsoever. We live in a world where conspiracy theories run rampant. After an easy 124-113 over the Mavs in Game 1, there was no reason to think things were going to change. The Bulls were once again champions, but they could have had to go back to Chicago for a Game 7 instead of a parade if an offensive foul was properly called. Unfortunately for Maverick players, supporters and ultimately fans everywhere, that legacy was built for him. In his most recent letter, Lauro stated that he was providing the new details because the prosecutors failed to provide all of the relevant information in their filing. Kobe Bryant was shooting terribly in Game 7. I don't think there was any foul play here. The theory here is that the league realized it had a young rising superstar in Dwyane Wade, and they saw an opportunity to elevate Wade even more through this finals series. NBA fans felt that it could be the year that Webber and the Kings won the championship. Later, Donaghys lawyers filed a court document which alleged that NBA officials had rigged Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los With the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter the Knicks were down by three.In the final seconds Larry Johnson launched a three pointer that washighly contested. Referee Bob Delaney, Beech found, called the game quite evenly. Roland Beech of 82games.com has spent serious time detailing every single call of the notorious Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. 87. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Lauro argued that the NBA must provide all of its documentation to justify the restitution claim. You might as well get his take before weighing in on the quality of his work. Ted Bernhardt left the NBA in 2006 and was arrested in 2010 for causing a disturbance at a former girlfriends house. Doubtful. This match-up between the league's two greatest rivals is a dream for the NBA, though for the past couple of days, the dream has been interrupted by a recent referee-cheating scandal that just won't go away. You couldn't knockLeBron Jamesover with that much force if you tried.". Many die-hard NBA fans swear by the theory that this series was I dont know. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. All rights reserved. The typical conspiracy theories that we know of are: The Earth is flat, we never really landed on the moon, and a conspiracy or two has been floated around as to how things occurred when John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. Say what you will, but I don't think any reasonable fan or person can deny that something weird was going on. Donaghy has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next month. I think referees are instructed on general things. At the time the league had owned the New Orleans Hornets. The game was tight the entire way and the Kings crowd stayed in a cowbell-ringing frenzy the entire way; going to overtime seemed both expected and fitting. In other words, they went to the line about as often as LeBron James flopped. Well You could convince me of one. We'll remember the careers of Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Robert Horry and Amare Stoudemire differently because of it. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The 2001 Bucks team was a memorable squad, surrounded . Would he have called the blocking foul on Fox with 0:20 when an offensive foul would have basically sealed the game? Kings fans, who routinely sold out Arco Arena during seasons of atrocious basketball, brought it to another level now, complete with ringing cowbells; the decibel level during the 2002 playoffs was measured as high as 112, about the same level of a jet engine. Scottie Pippen, in Hue Hollins' eyes, fouled Davis but in everyone elses eyes contested the shot cleanly and the Knicks stole Game 5 and eventually won the series. If you look at the shot, it was straight form. He also cited the 2002 Western Conference Finals as the most rigged series in league history. Webbers clean block on Bryant negated by a ghost foul on Kings guard Doug Christie. The Throwback. They believe that the referees act in the best financial interests of the league and David Stern. In 2002, the Sacramento Kings appeared to have the LA Lakers' number. The refs also made some bad calls against the Kings for almost the entirety of the game. If anything, it would have been in the league's best interests for the Lakers to win and even the series. The Lakers fell to a resurgent San Antonio Spurs team in six games, with inter-team tension between ONeal and Bryant perhaps at its all-time high. If you don't think those free throws are important, remember that Games 3, 5 and 6 were all determined by three points or less. The refs knew this and had their whistles ready because of it. Data Provided By They got lucky on a fluke. According to Donaghy, NBA executives directed referees "to manipulate games" in order to "boost ticket sales and television ratings," and he cited several examples. But it seemed like the Kings The Greatest Show on Court, Sacramento had enthused casual fans and NBA junkies alike since 1999 with legendary assistant coach Pete Carrils Princeton offense that produced a unique combination of flash and fundamentals. But to just pinpoint one [play] like that? Still an offensive foul on Kobe there could have changed the outcome! Or this. The infamy surrounding this game is just too severe to ignore. It was a fitting way for Michael Jordan to end his career. 29K views 2 years ago. No sport is dictated more by the whims of a referee than basketball. Would he have called the foul on Fisher at 1:27 that helped bring the Kings back within a point with plenty of time left? WebGeorge Karl and Ray Allen were both heavily fined for implying/outright claiming the series was rigged so as the big market Philly would match up with the big market LA in the Finals. I really want to throw the refs under the bus here because they did a terrible job, but something had to initiate it. This is certainly plausible with Bevotta officiating plenty of Game 6s and 7s (the closing games of a series), which is good evidence for Donaghys claim. 40 free throws for the Lakers over the course of the game. Beech did some very intelligent guesswork as to how many points the referees' dubious calls may have unfairly cost the Kings six points. In Game 4James baited Draymond Green into a flagrant fouled by pushing him down to the floor and stepping over him. Divac, the Kings best defensive big man, was lost near the end of regulation after picking up a fifth phantom foul just minutes earlier. The Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers were the defending NBA champions, while the Kings, with star Chris Webber and a superb supporting cast, seemed poised for a breakthrough. Viewed separately, the missed calls of Game 6 can all be understood and forgiven as part of the flow of the game. Lauro and Donaghy also cited a well-publicized controversy involving a 2005 playoff series between the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. This is what should have happened. I guess our time has to come at another time, Adelman said. The other notable non-call which I rated an "all refs" situation was on the inbounds at 0:12 where Kobe knocked Bibby to the floor with an elbow to the face, but Bibby was also grabbing Kobe at the time it happened so both were really guilty of infractions to some extent. The Lakers eventually prevailed 106-102 to force a decisive Game 7. The bottom line is, you know something's up when prominent NBA writers like Bill Simmons tweet that they "don't watch rigged games." Years of consecutive playoff matches bred fierce competition between the players, and palpable hatred between their fans. The Charlotte Bobcats just had a season where they had the worst winning percentage of any team in NBA history, and itseemed they would at least earn the first pick and get Anthony Davis as their franchise savior. That way was the NBA draft lottery. Kurt Thomas was able to contain Tim Duncan enough to keep him from destroying them. Whistles can swing games, series and ultimately championships. replays showing the shot left his hands after the buzzer sounded. Look at the replay again. After a back-and-forth Game 5 at Arco Arena that saw multiple lead changes and superb performances by both ONeal (28 points on 14 of 18 shooting) and Webber (29 points and 13 rebounds), the Lakers led 91-90 with 11 seconds to go. Pollard was traded after the 2003 season. Familiarity breeds animosity, Pollard said, citing the multiple times the in-state rivals, representing the coast and cow town, as Lakers coach Phil Jackson contemptuously referred to Californias inland capital, had played over the years in the preseason, regular season and postseason. At best, some of the calls against the Kings big men, like here and here, were dubious. Learn more and register, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics vs. San Antonio Spurs, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 6: Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, May 31, 2002. Watch this. That isessentially givingthe Lakers an opportunity to score 27 extra points in the last quarter of a close game. When one team shoots 28 more free throws than the other, you have to look into it. Let's try to find out. "If we get to re-rack that series, the Kings beat the Lakers 99 out of 100 times in a seven-games series, former Sacramento player Scot Pollard said in a phone interview. The Cavaliers were a little lucky to have two chances at hitting the lottery, but the first round pick that they had acquired from the Clippers had just a 2.8% chance of converting into the number one pick after the Clippers finished with the eighth worst record in basketball. (If you're wondering, Pippen averaged less than three fouls per game over his career.). So, thats a fact. What actuallyhappened was this abomination of a foul call. This was Phoenix's year. Cleveland Cavaliers GetThe First Pick Again In 2014. Or, my personal favorite, this. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 8 seed) and they shouldn't have let one bad call ruin the series for them, but they folded, winning only one more game in the series. The series was tied at one game apiece coming into Game 3. The NBA has yet to publicize the results of its review, which was conducted by an outside lawyer, Lawrence Pedowitz. Why this gets an honorable mention is that it's the single dumbest rule in all of sports. Well, I'll let the numbers do the talking. But the mother ship of NBA conspiracy theories remains Game 6 of the classic 2002 Western Conference Finals between the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the upstart Sacramento Kings. It's eight minutes long (by the way, I highly encourage watching it if you're a fan of terrible calls). We beat the crap out of them in Game 3, and we led in Game 4 for 47 minutes., A luck shot is one of those guys who has no form, Horry said after the game. Yes, at a glance you can see the Lakers got some advantage from the calls down the stretch, but if Bavetta was really trying to rig the game, would he have called a tie up jump ball at the 3:26 mark (and subsequently had a bad toss that gave the ball to the Kings) with the Kings ahead by two when he could have called a foul on Divac? The dynamic pair, one of the NBAs greatest and most volatile ever, would both win titles again, but not with one another. Cartilage in his left knee tore, and everything changed for both Webber and the Kings. But that amazing "final" moment to Jordan's career wasn't real. The event for the NBA Finals was between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Golden State Warriors had not even won the Western Conference yet. I think they know that certain players are expected to shoot a certain number of free throws, and I think they know, at least in the back of their mind, what is best for the league. He went to the free-throw line 15 times. "The U.S. attorney's office, the FBI have fully investigated it, and Mr. Donaghy is the only one who is guilty of a crime. The Knicks would go on to win the series and make the NBA Finals. Kobe is a bigger star than Boston's entire big three combined. Derek Fisher joked yesterday: Regardless of the allegations, he's not giving back his championship ring. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Jazz then put the ball in the hands of their best player in Karl Malone, but Malone was stripped of the ball by Jordan. It was egregiously, embarrassingly bad Stern and the NBA had better deal with it quickly, lest they appear completely unaware of a condition that will threaten the credibility of the league., Even Jackson, speaking in 2008after Donaghys court claim, said bad calls went both ways, and he just wanted to move on: "There's a lot of things going on in these games and they're suspicious, but I don't want to throw it back to there. And it depends on the refereeing crew. Theres no question in my mind that we were the better team. Pollard was a reserve power forward and center for the Kings, a bleach blonde energizer known as much for his candor as for his rebounding. This would make the top five of this list, but it's technically in line with the rules. As bad as the refs were, the Blazers blew it. Kobe Bryant basically punched Mike Bibby in the face without a call. Many speculated that the game was rigged. Not only did he make his "final" shot to win his sixth and final NBA title, but he did it over a man whose last name was "Russell"symbolically passing the torch of greatest player ever from Bill Russell to Jordan.
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