Just the Wrap, Rd5
TweetTHAT was just terrible. Conspiracy theorists had a field day as the officials made a complete hash of the end-game in the Melbourne-New Zealand showdown yesterday at Hisense Arena.
The home fans sure loved it but this evening even the NBL admitted its refereeing crew had made a ginormous cock-up in awarding an unsportsmanlike foul (USF) against Corey Webster on the game's penultimate play.
"During the final quarter, an unsportsmanlike foul was called against New Zealand's Corey Webster. The correct application of the rules should have resulted in the foul called against Corey Webster being called a normal personal foul, and not an unsportsmanlike foul," the NBL released tonight.
"The referees at the time determined that Webster's foul occurred immediately after a separate foul being called on Melbourne's Majok Majok against Alex Pledger."
The subsequent review revealed the time difference between the two fouls only was discernible by close scrutiny of the video replay.
So if the fouls occurred consecutively, both teams were entitled to two free throws, which, offset against one another meant possession awarded to New Zealand.
So yes, Breakers supporters, non-United fans and basketball lovers everywhere, you were right. It was a cock-up of gigantic proportions and the league is being proactive in preventing any repetition by implementing a new rule allowing scrutiny of the video replay in the last two minutes.
In the meantime, here's some comfort for the Breakers: "The NBL is apologetic that this situation has arisen and is addressing the situation immediately."
I'm sure that makes Dean Vickerman and his Breakers just so much happier.
NOW what about the elephant in the room?
You know, the fact Chris Goulding produced a memorable monster flop to draw the foul on Webster in the first place?
Should that not be discussed anywhere? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
So here's something I found mildly amusing. The ref who called Webster for the USF? That was Tim Brown. From New Zealand.
Tim, perhaps you should have given a technical to Goulding for flopping, or at least issued a warning? But a USF on Webster?
The NBL is standing down two of the officials involved in the farcical conclusion which also included a largely phantom foul on Pledger to put Stephen Holt on the foul-line for what eventually would prove the winning free throw.
It still doesn't change the result though, does it?
FLOPPING remains a huge problem and it is tragic today's quality ballers choose to do it.
I suppose if LeBron James is the best player in the world and he does it, then you can't blame today's impressionable youths for following suit.
That's why my basketballing icons are guys named Chamberlain, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Erving - or right here guys such as Leroy, Darnell or Rob Rose - and other players of that ilk and era for whom flopping was an embarrassment and an insult to their manhood.
But then, as recently as Wednesday in Townsville I watched with some despair as Perth's Shawn Redhage posted up Crocs swingman Clint Steindl, wheeled into his move and hit Steindl smack in the middle of the chest.
Steindl didn't flinch. And he didn't get the call, either.
A few offences later and the same play occurred. This time when Redhage hit Steindl in the chest, he went down. Guess what?
Steindl got the charge call on the Perth forward.
So that's why I despaired. When Steindl did it right, he didn't get the call. Effectively, he HAD to fall to get the call.
You can't cure flopping - or exaggerating - if your officials don't call the game as it should be called.
It's like Mark Bradtke used to moan that at 6-10 and being the man-beast he was, if he took a charge straight in the chest from a guard and didn't flinch - as he wouldn't - he never got the call.
NEVER GOT THE CALL: Mark Bradtke prepares to take a charge from Paul Rees. Good luck.