Daily NBA Fix 5-14-14: Officiating Overshadows Thunderous Comeback

Game Capsules:

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 105, Los Angeles Clippers 104

Referees Cloud A Perfectly Good Comeback – The main controversy from last night’s NBA action will undoubtedly come down to a couple of questionable calls down the stretch of a heated Game 5 that featured a furious rally by the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 3-2 series lead. Down seven with 49 seconds to go, the Thunder weren’t having a great night. Kevin Durant was 4-for-20 from the field and had struggled all night. Of his 22 points at that point, 12 had come from the foul line. But when his team needed him, the MVP came through.

Durant buried a three to cut the lead to four with 43 seconds left. A Jamal Crawford layup rimmed out, which led to a quick Durant two on the fast break to cut Los Angeles’ lead down to two with 17 seconds. But the Clippers’ meltdown wasn’t complete yet; Russell Westbrook stripped the ball from Chris Paul and it ended up in Reggie Jackson‘s hands. Jackson streaked to the basket and though he definitely should have passed it, looked like he drew a foul on Matt Barnes.

Here’s where the controversy begins: the referees didn’t blow a whistle for a foul, so going to the replay should have confirmed it would be Clippers ball with 11 seconds left. However, according to an NBA rule, if a player with the ball is stripped of the ball and it goes out of bounds, that player’s team should be awarded possession even if the player was the last one with his hands on the ball (which the replay confirmed). With the ball, down two, the Thunder got it to Westbrook, who was fouled on a three-point attempt by CP3. Westbrook had his chance to get his glory.

This one shouldn’t be controversial; replay clearly shows Paul got Westbrook on the elbow in the middle of an admittedly ill-advised shot. Westbrook sank all three free throws to put the Thunder up one with six seconds to go. The basketball gods gave the Clippers their chance to let “justice” win the day, but Paul turned the ball over after he hesitated near the basket and it was game over. Just like that, a 13-point lead with just over four minutes to play resulted in a one-point loss. That

dunk in the first half ended up being pretty damn important after all.

I understand why Clippers fans would be upset. That many calls going against your team in the final minute gives fans good cause to whine about something, but the fact of the matter is Los Angeles choked this game away, much like the OKC choked away Game 4. Nobody was griping too much about the ridiculous flagrant foul called against Westbrook in the first half, or the fact that Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have become notorious exaggerators of contact this postseason.

It’s easy to complain about refereeing and the replay system, and these are things that Adam Silver definitely needs to improve immediately, but blaming the outcome of the game on anyone but the LA Clippers would be a mistake. Doc Rivers may not have been shy about declaring it highway robbery, but Chris Paul himself was ready to admit if anyone was robbed, he probably owed them most of the money.

In my book, the Clippers didn’t deserve to win Game 4 just as much as the Thunder didn’t deserve to win Game 5, so it really balances out. Griffin’s monster 24-point, 17-rebound game went to waste, but Westbrook’s impressive 38-point, six-assist, five-rebound night certainly did not. On a night where the league MVP couldn’t find the bottom of the net, #LetWestbrookBeWestbrook prevailed once again. Durant finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but he’ll have to be better in Game 6 than 6-for-22 like he was in Game 5. For one night at least, Durant’s often criticized superstar teammate deserved all the glory.