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As we get close to the Dog Days of Summer, a time where the MLB rules supreme while sports folks are waiting for the football season to kick-off, the sports news begins to enter a slow-down mode. I suppose that explains the great deal of discussion surrounding the way the Lakers/Spurs game ended last night. Did Derek Fisher foul Brent Barry? What call would you have made in that situation?

There’s certainly a great deal being said on both sides of the argument, but who’s right? First, let’s take a look at the play in question and then we can discuss.

Over at FanHouse, (tips for the video), Brent Edwards say no:

First of all, forget that this was the end of the game, and pretend it was the end of the first quarter. Do you really think that Fisher’s crowding of Barry and incidental contact before Barry chucked the ball at the rim 30 feet from the basket would have warranted a whistle? No way. Now, considering it was the end of the game, in what universe do you think a foul would have been called on a shot that had zero chance of going in that would give the home team a chance to decide the game at the free throw line? Certainly not this one.

However, the fine folks at Awful Announcing have a different view:

Unbelievable. I don’t see how you look and that and not make a call. It’s one thing if Barry got away and got off a clean look, but with 2.1 seconds left you HAVE to call that. I warned everyone yesterday afternoon that San Antonio wasn’t happy and you can bet they’re going to be livid tomorrow. The Duncan incident, The Popovich poking incident in Game Five of the Hornets Series, and now this.

Over at Deadspin, Basketbawful get in on the act — so much so, it seems they almost support the conspiracy theories:

But, in the end, the guiltiest parties may have been Joey Crawford, Joe Forte and Mark Wunderlich…the three wise(guy) monkeys who apparently could see no evil, hear no evil, and certainly couldn’t call any evil.

After being welcomed at Epic Carnival as a new author, the guys at SSReporters may be on to something — mainly, the entire NBA is mired by poor officiating, not just in the closing seconds. They also get the call right, had it been made. It would not have been three free throws, it would’ve been two:

The problem I have with that last play, is that should’ve been two shots, not three. No stupid continuation garbage at all, the Lakers were in the penalty, and it was clear Barry was trying to get a foul called and Popovich was trying to bait the Lakers D into thinking they were going for the win. Fisher had his elbow on Barry’s back, and even though Barry made a terrible decision not to just force up a shot and go for 3 free throws, one of the refs should’ve blown the whistle, and call Fisher for his 6th foul (see above point).

The NBA has become bush league as far as officiating, they won’t let them play anymore and when they do let them play it should be a foul. Who knows?

Here’s where I stand — by definition, that was a foul. I, however, also understand that not every call is going to be made whether it’s a conspiracy or just an officiating crew’s swallowing the whistle and allowing the players to decided the game when it’s on the line.

The only time you really see calls in the closing seconds is when the foul or violation is so egregious, it cannot be ignored — unless, of course, it’s college basketball and Villanova is playing Georgetown. But don’t take my word for it. The Spurs publicly agree as do the folks over at Pounding the Rock, the Spurs unofficial blog.

Whatever the case about the foul, this much is certain: The Spurs find themselves in a deep, 3-games-to-1, hole and it will take a monumental effort — or a total collapse — to overcome the Lakers and continue the defense of their title.

Tags: Bad Calls, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Finals, NBA Playoffs, San Antonio Spurs

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