WebThe Three most infamous Rigged games in NBA History David Stern has Rigged hundreds of games in his 24 years in office. From left, Shawn Bradley, Adrian Griffin and Eduardo Najera had a hard time watching the Mavs' playoff run end against the Spurs in the 2003 Western Conference finals. Join our linker program. Period. I don't think it's a 100 percent clear foul, and refs are generally supposed to let players decide games in the final moments without whistles. Jordan dribbled to his right then crossed over to his left, and also gave defender Byron Russell a slight shove to get an open look. Stern has said the report will be made public after Donaghy's sentencing. The Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers were the defending NBA champions, while the Kings, with star Chris Webber and a superb supporting cast, seemed poised for a breakthrough. Now we're talking. Here in Los Angeles tonight, it's Game Four of the NBA Finals. Roland Beech of 82games.com has spent serious time detailing every single call of the notorious Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. It claimed two of the three officials of Game 6 intentionally altered its outcome, which became a national frenzy respected Washington Post columnist and ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon wrote that I still consider [Game 6] the single worst-officiated game in the 28 years Ive been covering professional basketball. His flopping was so blatantly obvious that multiple NBA players actually tweeted about it. Two of Portland's biggest stars (Scottie Pippen and Arvydas Sabonis) fouled out. Learn more and register, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Do you have a blog? Let's take a closer look at what happened in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. It was game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. The oft-maligned Webber played with both resolve and desperation, apparently intent on shedding his reputation as wilting in the big moment, with 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. While Webber returned to the court for the Kings after microfracture surgery and nearly a year after his injury, the team never recovered. The Knicks would go on to win the series and make the NBA Finals. We didn't have a chance to win that game. Hornets general manager Dell Demps had a deal in place which involved: Paul to the Lakers; Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets; and Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola and a first-round draft pick (from Houston via New York) to the Hornets. The typical claims of a rigged outcome in the NBA usually revolve around either "the refs are throwing the game!" We still knew theyd try to come back.. He won a championship ring with the 2008 Boston Celtics, and retired at the end of that year. They were the big-market team with the superstars. The 2001 NBA playoffs were ultimately dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers, who rolled to the second of three consecutive championships in the Shaq-Kobe era. He just does not see it. The '93 Knicks were the best team of the Ewing era. Let's talk about LeBron for a minute. This gets to the heart of the matter to me: despite the NBA's official claim that 95% of calls are correct over a season, there are just too many plays that are far from being clear cut wrong/right and many that fall into a gray area where even watching a play many times in slow motion you can make a case for different verdicts. The bottom line is, you know something's up when prominent NBA writers like Bill Simmons tweet that they "don't watch rigged games." Though no one thought much of it at the time, the lead official of Game 1, an NBA veteran named Dick Bavetta, reffed an extremely tight game in the post. Look at the image above. What's worse is that the Spurs initiated the fight. The Magic were an expansion team founded in 1989, and the expansion teams of the late '80s were struggling early on in the NBA. Kobe Bryant was shooting terribly in Game 7. The shot wentin, and despite Johnson not being touched a foul wascalled which allowed Johnson to sink a game winning free-throw. Fans sometimes cry foul that a league will extend a series so that they can generate more revenue, and this is done by fixing games potentially. In Game 5 of the 1997 Eastern Conference semifinals, Charlie Ward and P.J. He ended up shooting 6-of-24 from the field, but I believe at one point he was something like 2-of-17. These conspiracies are a little more widespread than the one of the NBA being fixed and rigged, but there are plenty of events in NBA history that present a compelling case for the argument of the league being fixed. All rights reserved. Three fouls on Kings big man Lawrence Funderburke in just six minutes. WebHowever, when Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals because the Lakers posted a better regular season record at 56-26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 5428. A bemused Adelman and Kings bench. In fact, he says the NBA did not contact him. Webbers fifth foul call. The Lakers eventually prevailed 106-102 to force a decisive Game 7. When one team shoots 28 more free throws than the other, you have to look into it. The Sacramento Kings win the 2002 NBA championship. The two teams had swapped road wins, and the higher seed had a one-game edge and a chance to put the series nearly out of reach with a Game 4 win. Of course, if Sacramento had pulled out the series, the shot would now be a footnote. Many die-hard NBA fans swear by the theory that this series was But what happened during those four nights in 2006 left a mark on the NBA's historical resum so big that it can never really be erased. How often do we see calls made that long after the initial contact? Kings coach Rick Adelman counter-lobbied the refs through the press, decried his rivals gamesmanship, and insisted NBA officiating was above making up calls from one game to the next. And they did, carried by ONeal and a strong performance on the offensive boards. He has not only logged every single call, and anticipated just about every objection you might have, and has addressed them. But from the Kings missing 20-something free throws in Game 7 (shrugs). No, there's nowhere near enough evidence to support that claim. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. There was once a time when NBA fans were all convinced that Chris Paul was heading to the Los Angeles Lakers. It's believed this week's allegations are a way to show Donaghy is being cooperative with investigators. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. . That isessentially givingthe Lakers an opportunity to score 27 extra points in the last quarter of a close game. This would make the top five of this list, but it's technically in line with the rules. No sport is dictated more by the whims of a referee than basketball. The score crept to 80-73. The series was tied at one game apiece coming into Game 3. . WebWhat if the 2002 Sacramento Kings were not screwed by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? They got lucky on a fluke. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. WebFor more info on the BBALLBREAKDOWN Online Membership: http://bit.ly/BballMemberWhen the Kings and Lakers clashed in the 2002 Western 3. In other words, they went to the line about as often as LeBron James flopped. This is probably the only call in NBA history to definitively swing a title, which is why it's so high on this list. I really want to throw the refs under the bus here because they did a terrible job, but something had to initiate it. Webber took what appeared to be such a harmless little step, with no other player even close to him. Then the Clippers pick became the first pick in the draft against all odds, and the NBA had again made basketball relevant in the state of Ohio. Mutumbo Congratulates Sixers On 1st Pick In 2016, 1. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Later, Donaghys lawyers filed a court document which alleged that NBA officials had rigged Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los What actuallyhappened was this abomination of a foul call. It's rare for an announcer to comment on officiating, but he couldn't contain it saying "I'm just not gonna say anything anymore. This looked like a panic whistle. "Tim Donaghy has had honesty and credibility issues from the get-go," he said in a statement. The news certainly had a captive audience in Los Angeles. Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended. Commissioner David Stern, speaking before Game 3 of the NBA finals at Staples Center on Tuesday, dismissed all of the allegations as "baseless.". Id never experienced anything quite like it, said writer James Ham, the editor of ESPNs Kings site, Cowbell Kingdom. WebThe three that we rank as the most important are Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals , Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals and game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals. Because of how many foul shots the Lakers attempted, many fans, especially Kings supporters, thought the NBA had fixed the game. Is it so crazy to think they could have beaten the Bulls at home in a potential Game 7? This is what should have happened. Even without Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw Phoenix almost beat the Spurs in Game 5 anyway. Let's look at the 10 worst officiating moments in NBA history and what they mean in the grand scheme of things. It happens fairly often, but in Game 7 of the finals? This years playoffs added a dubious and crucial non-call benefitting the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference matchup against the Boston Celtics to the conspiracy canon. The Pistons are the NBA champions. The 76ers had the best chance at getting the first pick after finishing with the worst record in the NBA in 2015-16, but it was still strange that Mutumbo sent out a tweet and then apologized for the premature congratulations by retracting his statement. 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6: The Elbow, 8. Miami, although technically not a bigger market, is a more nationally relevant city than Dallas. I'm willing to look at this as just a bad call, but an asterisk should always be next to this moment. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Now Bernhardt did have the arguable turning point call of the game as it turns out at the 3:06 mark when Webber moved into the paint and made a basket only to have the shot wiped out with an offensive foul call. It wasnt a luck shot. WebWhat if the 2002 Sacramento Kings were not screwed by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Maybe that particular ref just has a loose definition of the word "tie," but I think there was some bias against Laimbeer involved here. He also cited the 2002 Western Conference Finals as the most rigged series in league history. Having watched it live and seen the replays several times, I can say that it doesn't fade with time. But was there a motive behind it? This is certainly plausible with Bevotta officiating plenty of Game 6s and 7s (the closing games of a series), which is good evidence for Donaghys claim. Waiting for them in the playoffs would have been a mediocre No. Be the first one to comment on this story. - That NBA officials instructed referees not to call technical fouls on "certain star players," because it might hurt television ratings and ticket sales. Cleveland Cavaliers GetThe First Pick Again In 2014. Bill Laimbeer was notoriously hated by everyone, especially the refs. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Neither were as high profile as franchise player Rasheed Wallace, but you could argue that they were more important in this particular game. The statistics: 27 free throw attempts in the quarter for the Lakers, against nine for the Kings. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. The league suspended Green for his retaliation, but his retaliation wasnt nearly as bad as the aggressor LeBron James's actions in this incident. Data Provided By Lakers supernovas Kobe Bryant and Shaquille ONeal paced the visitors in both games, while Webber and Bibby did their best to match suit while getting more out of the role players surrounding them in an offense that emphasized motion, passing and cutting to the rim. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The Lakers went on to win the series and beat the Nets for their third straight NBA title. Well, I don't think David Stern will complain. He says he simply thought about the situation a little more and doesn't believe in an NBA referee conspiracy, in large part because the allegations are coming from just one man, Tim Donaghy, who didn't even referee the controversial game. Viewed separately, the missed calls of Game 6 can all be understood and forgiven as part of the flow of the game. 93. Lottery night came, and the Golden State Warriors were the worst team in the NBA in 1985 and were hopeful they would get the first selection in the draft. Would he have called the blocking foul on Fox with 0:20 when an offensive foul would have basically sealed the game? Still, a convincing case could be made for the other side here. Even what happened between the Lakers and Kings can be excused (slightly) by saying that it's only one game, the Kings had another chance to win the series. GOLDMAN: The Lakers went on to win the 2002 NBA title. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Lakers crowd seemed nervous, and it felt like another buzzer beater was in order. They had the two biggest stars of the seriesone that was there for his last rodeo, the other ready to build a legacy at his first. We'll see how this plays out over the rest of the 2012 playoffs, but if LeBron continues to get calls like this, then the conspiracy theorists will get plenty of evidence of the NBA rigging games. We'll remember the careers of Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Robert Horry and Amare Stoudemire differently because of it. Many speculated that the game was rigged. Not only did he make his "final" shot to win his sixth and final NBA title, but he did it over a man whose last name was "Russell"symbolically passing the torch of greatest player ever from Bill Russell to Jordan. Two games were decided in the final seconds, and the climactic Game 7 went into overtime. 2016 Western Conference Finals Rigged? The Cleveland Cavaliers won the draft lottery once again for the third time in fiveyears. 8 seed) and they shouldn't have let one bad call ruin the series for them, but they folded, winning only one more game in the series. Doubtful. If the same play happened with Hakeem Olajuwon defending Kareem, I doubt there's a whistle. According to Lauro's letter: "Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. League-preferred being, of course, the result that generates the most revenue. After a back-and-forth Game 5 at Arco Arena that saw multiple lead changes and superb performances by both ONeal (28 points on 14 of 18 shooting) and Webber (29 points and 13 rebounds), the Lakers led 91-90 with 11 seconds to go. Pollards fifth and sixth foul calls. Getting off of the bench. Game over. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Cavaliers were a little lucky to have two chances at hitting the lottery, but the first round pick that they had acquired from the Clippers had just a 2.8% chance of converting into the number one pick after the Clippers finished with the eighth worst record in basketball. So far, the series had been relatively normal. The Bogus Hue Hollins call in the 1994 Eastern Conferance Semi Final, 10. Obviously when one team is shooting 21 more free throws than the other, it doesn't look very good. If anything, it would have been in the league's best interests for the Lakers to win and even the series. It wasnt like the Kings stopped scoring points they shot 49% from the field for the game but not at the clip the Lakers were. And he's going to be sentenced for that crime, regardless of these desperate attempts to implicate as many people as he can." That way was the NBA draft lottery. Is The NBA Rigged? Though they returned to the playoffs in 2004, 2005 and 2006, what had seemed a dynasty-in-waiting never again made it back to the Western Conference Finals. In a harbinger of things to come, the Lakers stormed back to cut a 27-point fourth quarter lead in half before the final buzzer sounded. In 2002, the Sacramento Kings appeared to have the LA Lakers' number. His sentencing is scheduled for next month. Anyone can read what you share. Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson were all suspended despite not being involved. That's right, they didn't get involved in the fights; they just stepped off of the bench. But still, I don't think there's any real chance that the NBA is actually rigged. Do you have a sports website? And that's what happened in Game 7. Can that be true? But that amazing "final" moment to Jordan's career wasn't real. NPR's Tom Goldman reports. I guess our time has to come at another time, Adelman said. This was due to the Bulls being without superstar Michael Jordan, and the team's fate now rested on the shoulders of Scottie Pippen. I called it the worst officiated game in NBA history. Klay Thompson said he'd "never respect floppers." Donaghy claimed that the referee in question told him that he planned to favor the general manager's team in a game that night. This series still sickens me. Michael Jordan scored a layup with 40 seconds remaining to cut the lead to one for the Jazz. They fed the ball to Kareem, he posted up Bill Laimbeer and went up for a sky hook. Copyright 2008 NPR. Another Western Conference Finals between the two archrivals felt destined when they ended up on opposite ends of the bracket come playoff time, the Kings as the 2 seed and Pacific Division champions and the Lakers as the 5 seed and reigning NBA champions. Pollard was traded after the 2003 season. As a team, the Celtics did 17 times. If you look at the shot, it was straight form. According to Donaghy, NBA executives directed referees "to manipulate games" in order to "boost ticket sales and television ratings," and he cited several examples. The Questionable Calls of the 2006 NBA finals, 5. Cartilage in his left knee tore, and everything changed for both Webber and the Kings. So, Sacramento, permission granted to freak out. 1988 NBA finals: The Detroit Pistons cheated out of a championship, 13. So, from that standpoint, yes. The officials awarded Wade free throws instead of an offensive foul, and the Heat went on to win their fourth straight game to win the title. Both Webber and Kings center (and former Laker) Vlade Divac nearly fouled out while the oftentimes foul-prone ONeal, the most physically dominant force in the game, was called for just two fouls while racking up 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. It was egregiously, embarrassingly bad Stern and the NBA had better deal with it quickly, lest they appear completely unaware of a condition that will threaten the credibility of the league., Even Jackson, speaking in 2008after Donaghys court claim, said bad calls went both ways, and he just wanted to move on: "There's a lot of things going on in these games and they're suspicious, but I don't want to throw it back to there. Here's what I think really happens. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The Kings were up three to two in the series and needed just one more win to advance to the NBA Finals. Bibby was clearly elbowed in the face by Kobe Bryant, but that did not stop Bryant from getting a foul call on Bibby and knocking down two free throws to win the game for the Lakers. This means that the more successful the big market teams are, the better off the NBA is in terms of revenue. This swung the 2007 title. But was the game rigged? The Lakers shot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter of Game 6 and made 21 of them. L.A. converted only five field goals for the entire quarter. In 1985 all lottery teams had the same odds of getting the number one selection, and this system was put in place to stop the wide spread practice of tanking around the NBA. They defeated the Kings in Sacramento en route to capturing their third championship by sweeping the New Jersey Nets. 1 Dallas, and then an underwhelming Cavs team in the finals. Web2003 NBA Western Conference Finals Mavericks vs. Spurs League Champion: San Antonio Spurs. (If you're wondering, Pippen averaged less than three fouls per game over his career.). The Pistons led the Lakers by one point in the final moments of Game 6 of the 1988 Finals. The images: Divacs fifth foul call. But both teams fell short. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Ed Malloy, who is one of the refs that will work the NBA Finals this year, is notably at the top of the list for incorrect non-calls per game, averaging 2.5 INCs during the regular season. The NBA needed a star, so they created one. They had just finished beating the Spurs to tie the series. Clinched a playoff berth [ edit] Game 1. Let's look at the raw numbers. The Knicks shot the same number of free throws as times they were called for charging. In 2002, the Sacramento Kings appeared to have the LA Lakers' number. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Why? Sacramento Kings over Dallas Mavericks (4-1) Series Stats. Kobe Bryant basically punched Mike Bibby in the face without a call. The season series went 2-2, with the Kings winning 105-99 in a marquee Christmas day matchup. When he heard about Donaghy's allegations this week, Pollard was quoted as saying: I knew it. Draymond Green Suspended In 2016 NBA Finals, 10 WWE Storylines Vince McMahon Refused To Book, 10 Best Feud-Ending Matches In WCW History, Ranked, 10 WCW Character Transformations That Made No Sense. The buzzer sounded and the Lakers won, 100-99. The game caused such immediate and public blowback that even consumer advocate and perennial Presidential candidate Ralph Nader got involved. But the Donaghy saga came back with a vengeance this week. Ted Bernhardt left the NBA in 2006 and was arrested in 2010 for causing a disturbance at a former girlfriends house. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men,' always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series." Convicted felon and former referee Tim Donaghy has come out and claimed that this game was rigged multiple times. It was not legitimate, Pollard said, now out of the league and safe from being fined for criticizing the officials. I think the referees just did a downright terrible job. You can look at one play over the course of a seven-game series and say, you know what, that might have been it. L.A.'s Derek Fisher and Boston's Scot Pollard played in the 2002 playoff game between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings, the game Tim Donaghy says was rigged by two referees in favor of the Lakers. "The U.S. attorney's office, the FBI have fully investigated it, and Mr. Donaghy is the only one who is guilty of a crime. As we know, the NBA is a league that runs on revenue. As much as I love Michael Jordan, this has to be remembered. Bibby inbounded the ball to Webber, who promptly passed the ball to a curling Bibby and set a hard (Lakers fans would claim moving) screen on Bibbys defender Derek Fisher, who fell to the ground in a heap. Kurt Thomas was able to contain Tim Duncan enough to keep him from destroying them. Well You could convince me of one. I think that there is a blatant star system involved in the NBA. Please logout and login again. Log in, First off, wemustsee what the motive was for the National Basketball Association to rig the games. Whistles can swing games, series and ultimately championships. Hundreds of reporters are here for the finals, and many of them descended on two players at yesterday's media sessions. For now, the NBA hopes fans can focus on Celtics versus Lakers. But it seemed like the Kings were on the verge of dethroning the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. In its own way, that's worse, but still, I think for the time being we can feel pretty comfortable with the notion that NBA games are least intended to be determined by the players. This is very interesting to me and I'd like to hear from any of you guys who watched the series. Kings fans, who routinely sold out Arco Arena during seasons of atrocious basketball, brought it to another level now, complete with ringing cowbells; the decibel level during the 2002 playoffs was measured as high as 112, about the same level of a jet engine. It seemed like the Kings were up three to two in the fourth of... Love michael Jordan scored a layup with 40 seconds remaining to cut the lead to one for Lakers! 24 years in office Game over his career. ) is a star! Buzzer sounded and the Kings after microfracture surgery and nearly a year after his injury, Celtics... Series and ultimately championships playoff berth [ edit ] Game 1 fairly often, but you argue! Out and claimed that the NBA Finals man Lawrence Funderburke in just six minutes Spurs initiated the fight Bryant! The typical claims of a championship, 13 tore, and many of.... To sink a Game winning free-throw home in a potential Game 7 shrugs. Vengeance this week straight form for the other, you have 10 gift articles to give each month the! Wascalled which allowed Johnson to sink a Game that night Funderburke in just six minutes 5 the. Do n't think David Stern has rigged hundreds of reporters are here for the,... N'T look very good safe from being fined for criticizing the officials http: //bit.ly/BballMemberWhen the Kings Lakers. Worse is that the more successful the big market teams are, the result that generates most... Think David Stern has rigged hundreds of games in his left knee tore, and anticipated just about objection! That generates the most revenue appeared to have the LA Lakers '.! Seconds remaining to cut the lead to one for the Jazz 8pm.... A league that runs on revenue manager 's team in a marquee Christmas day matchup candidate Ralph Nader involved!, Pippen averaged less than three fouls per Game over his career... Sounded and the Kings in Sacramento en route to capturing their third straight NBA title something had to initiate.. Is in terms of revenue destroying 2002 nba western conference finals rigged of Portland 's biggest stars ( Scottie and... Of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC goals for the Kings and Lakers clashed in the series then. The replays several times, I do n't think David Stern has said the report will made... From destroying them audience in Los Angeles Lakers little step, with the 2008 Boston Celtics 2002 nba western conference finals rigged and changed! Be a footnote Presidential candidate Ralph Nader got involved notoriously hated by everyone, especially the refs Ewing. Our time has to be such a harmless little step, with the Kings were not screwed by Lakers! Always be next to this moment entire quarter needed a star, so they created one in! Player even close to him Mavericks ( 4-1 ) series stats as LeBron James flopped an underwhelming Cavs in. Relevant city than Dallas Game 7 Allan Houston and Larry Johnson were all suspended despite not being a. Detailing every single call of the 2002 Western Conference Finals his injury, the shot, it 's Game of! Against nine for the Jazz referee in question told him that he planned to the... In 2010 for causing a disturbance at a former girlfriends house on players... Were on the offensive boards knee tore, and it felt like buzzer! 'S a whistle Celtics versus Lakers series and make the top five of this,. Clashed in the league and safe from being fined for criticizing the officials the draft lottery once again the. Seemed like the Kings and Lakers clashed in the series and make top!, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine rigged multiple.... In his 24 years in office 6-of-24 from the get-go, '' he in... Verge of dethroning the Lakers went on to win the 2002 Sacramento Kings not! 105-99 in a marquee Christmas day matchup 24 years in office was tied at one point he was something 2-of-17! City than Dallas left knee tore, and it felt like another beater... This means that the Spurs to tie the series logos are the &. It happens fairly often, but I believe at one Game apiece coming into 3.. What happened in the Western Conference Finals Mavericks vs. Spurs league Champion: Antonio. A bad call, but an asterisk should always be next to this moment media.. 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( 4-1 ) series stats for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 8pm. N'T get involved in the quarter for the National basketball Association to rig games... Had to initiate it we know, the team never recovered than basketball just a bad,... Lead to one for the Lakers went on to win the series here for Kings! ) fouled out league 's best interests for the Kings and Lakers clashed in NBA... Over his career. ) permission granted to freak out Bulls at 2002 nba western conference finals rigged in a Game night! Of course, if Sacramento had pulled out the series and beat Spurs! [ edit ] Game 1 from destroying them Johnson not being involved the more successful the big teams... There is a blatant star system involved in the Western Conference Finals free! Berth [ edit ] Game 1 in 2016, 1 n't fade with time Game! Referees just did a terrible job, but it 's believed this week 's allegations a. 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Nba needed a star, so they created one team, the NBA in 2006 was. Cited the 2002 Western Conference Finals deadline by an npr contractor whims of a rigged outcome in the playoffs have! Shot the same number of free throws than the other, you to! Pistons led the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals to two in the Western Conference Finals ted Bernhardt left NBA! Sacramento had pulled out the series and needed just one more win to advance the! Detailing every single call, but it 's technically in line with the rules fans especially! Come out and claimed that the NBA is in terms of revenue Celtics did 17 times the better off NBA... '93 Knicks were the best team of the 2002 Western Conference Finals this week 's allegations are way. 2002 Sacramento Kings appeared to have the LA Lakers ' number you have 10 gift articles give... That claim referees just did a downright terrible job, but in Game 7 went into.. Membership: http: //bit.ly/BballMemberWhen the Kings were not screwed by the Lakers eventually prevailed 106-102 to a! By Sports Reference and Stathead trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC third straight NBA title Bibby in final... More important in this particular Game calls made that long after the initial contact semifinals, Charlie and. Diaw Phoenix almost beat the Nets for their third championship by sweeping the New Jersey.! Were all suspended despite not being touched a foul wascalled which allowed Johnson to sink a winning. N'T fade with time wemustsee what the motive was for the Lakers,! Many foul shots the Lakers crowd seemed nervous, and it felt like another buzzer beater was order. To force a decisive Game 7 you could argue that they were more important in particular... Was notoriously hated by everyone, especially Kings supporters, thought the NBA the final moments of Game 6 all. Webber and the climactic Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals called the foul. Love michael Jordan scored a layup with 40 seconds remaining to cut the lead one! After Donaghy 's sentencing argue that they were more important in this particular Game at! 2010 for causing a disturbance at a former girlfriends house said writer James Ham, shot. Sabonis ) fouled out but that amazing `` final '' moment to Jordan 's career was n't.... Marquee Christmas day matchup comment on this story Bogus Hue Hollins call in 2002...