Lakers-Kings fixed? Say it ain’t so!

Posted by HoopsAvenue on June 11, 2008 under NBA Playoffs, Tim Donaghy | Be the First to Comment

As fixed as Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals actually looked, it always felt better to assume it just looked fixed and wasn’t actually fixed.  Now that disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is alleging that it was indeed fixed, it makes you wonder.  Of course there is the possibility that Donaghy just picked the two series (also ‘05 Mavs-Rockets) that looked the most fixed to give his claims some credibility.

It’s impossible to ignore the allegations though, especially if you recall what happened during the 2005 Mavs-Rockets series (the Lakers-Kings situation was mostly just fan outrage).  In that series, then Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy asserted after one particular game that he had received a call from a referee not working the playoffs that the league had issued a directive to its referees to call more fouls on Yao Ming.  Van Gundy was fined $100,000 and refused to reveal the identity of the referee.  It’s the fact that Van Gundy actually gave some details that makes you think maybe something was going on.

Here’s a look at Donaghy’s actual claim (Team 3 = Mavs, Team 4 = Rockets):

“Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3’s owner complained to NBA officials,” the letter says. “Team 3’s owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions.”

Not so interesting if you ask me.  Doesn’t this happen all the time?  The league office notices something isn’t being called and asks that it be called.  There seems to be little merit here.  Donaghy is going to have to draw up more of an anti-Rockets conspiracy than that to make me a believer.

Obviously the Lakers-Kings Game 6 looked fixed, but the free throw discrepancy there was only 40-25.  Game 2 of this year’s Finals favored the Celtics 38-10.  So should we believe every game is fixed?

I’m sure the mainstream sports media will have fun with this one for a while, but it’s only the surface facts that are intriguing.  Once you get to the details, Donaghy sounds like your average conspiracy nut.