So now we have a game 2 where the lead official is part of the story, before the game even starts. Never mind how anyone feels about game 1 officiating, or whether or not you believe any of this "Crawford hates Dallas" stuff, but it seems to me that the guy must EITHER have it in for Dallas, or else he would REALLY feel the pressure to prove 'em wrong after reading this, which would be devastating to the Blazers, down 1-0 already.

I seriously doubt these refs live in a bubble and don't read these articles, or have family/friends that point these articles out to them.

Either way, having officials be a part of the story before the game starts is pretty lame. They shoulda flown in a substitute ref  the minute ESPN decided to run with this BS article. 

Here's hoping the Crawford jinx holds up tonight, at any rate. Go Blazers!