and Rec’d

I was very impressed with Oden’s Def on Yao tonight. Houston had a hard time getting the ball to Yao even as they rotated him around the key to get Open.

I thought for sure, based on history, that Oden was going to get more fouls from just being tied up with Yao. I think at least he seems to be getting the OK for the physicality in that case, so I’m feeling good about that. The Ref’s seem to be figuring out how to play Greg.

I think most of the fouls tonight were Greg’s fault anyway, with that though, that first quarter did seem leaning towards the Rockets, foul-wise.

The only real stupid foul on GO was when Scola was coming down the court and Oden barely touched him.

Yao was visibly tired out tonight from battling Oden.

 Hey we were down 17 in the third, and I feel, a Battier-deep-desparation-three away from taking that game. Even then, we were a bad 3-attempt by Blake away at the end.

I’m feeling pretty good about Sunday.

even if they run into him, the refs will call it on him (and this isn’t an Oden/refs issue this is how the refs call NBA games).

The fouls on Yao are really hard to see and pretty much could go either way IMO and get called on GO most of the time. I think we aren’t getting a fair shake on these calls, but when do you get a fair shake with NBA refs?

I think I have finally found the NBAs version of yelling “SHOOT IT” on the power play.

Every teams fanbase thinks the refs are screwing them. It’s a joke. The nature of the game simply allows for more “judgmement” calls and thus…more mistakes. Its the nature of the NBA and has nothing to do with some conspiracy.

Oden had at least 2 fouls last night that were absolutely ridiculous. The one foul where he bumped into Yao was so dumb, it looked like the ref was standing there waiting for G.O. to touch Yao so he could blow his whistle and call a foul. The 2nd foul on Oden last night that was clearly not a foul was when him and Yao went up for a rebound and Yao grabbed his arm and somehow they called the foul on Oden. These refs are complete fools and I am all for the Conspiracy Theory of the NBA officiating.

Doesn’t he have a new teammate? TO…and I don’t mean Travis Outlaw…he will be lucky to survive much less HOF. Dream Shake that’s a really fine blog they hardly mention Mutombo after he got hurt….A bunch of self absorbed winners….

the last two games that have me scratching my head. Blake got one, IMMEDIATELY after a personal foul the other night and Joel got one IMMEDIATELY after a personal foul call last night (this one actually potentially cost us the game last night, without out it we would have been tied, not down one with 23 seconds left and could have just played defense instead of foul ball, plus that marked the change of our intensity as well).

What confuses me is they got those very quick technicals while:

1. Both nites Battier charged an offical yelling after a call. Not even a warning glance from either official.
2. Yao stood over an official intimidatingly for nearly 20 secodns on Tuesday,
3. Don’t get me started on all the whining and b*tching and cold icy stares Scola gives the refs.

What did Pryz and Blake do that warranted such quick whistles?

But, like others have said, but I agree with douglast. Stop getting the stupid ones and you don’t have to worry about the refs called fouls. Though I have to admit that really grates on me.

And the refs are bad all over the NBA. This series has been the most inconsistent that I can remember, as far as calls, and I’ve been tuning in for a while. It’s been bad both ways at times…for every call we pick on, the Rockets could come with one to counter it. I have the admit the ones we pick on and the ones they pick on seem to have a different meaning to the entire game, but regardless, in order to play better, to be better and to be the best team in the NBA (which I think we will be in a couple years), we have to learn to not let the refs make a difference. It’s tough, but we can’t compete until we can do that.

what this one needs is a motive for the NBA .

I’ll admit Greg has to learn to play smarter defense, he earns many fouls by not moving his feet and thinking he can guard Aaron Brooks. At the same time, and what realy bugs me is defenses learned quickly, that by attacking Oden the refs will call him for any contact. There’s no doubt coaches are emphasizing to their guys to go right at Greg and elicit contact as the refs already have the whistle in their mouths ready to rattle the pea on him. There’s countless example of guys driving right into Greg for the sheer purpose of creating contact knowing out of control or not, the call is going against Greg. He is such an intimidating presence in the defensive low box that teams will exploit the refs tendency to initiate Greg into the league by shrilling the whistle.

How many times have we heard Mike or Mike say the refs aren’t going to call kobe (or in this instance Yao) for his 5th foul? The same aint true with Greg. The refs are all TOO willing to call Greg for fouls 1,2,3,4,5,and 6.

Bad calls do go both ways, and bad reffing is a part of the game. Unfortuantely, in Greg’s case its always untimely, and since he hasn’t earned the super-star exception, it’s something we are going to have to grin and bear it through.