Not that it matters anymore, but...
Upon further review, Stu Jackson believes the refs missed the call at the end of Monday's win in Golden State. From the Contra Costa Times (via TrueHoop):
With four seconds left in overtime, Delaney called an offensive foul on the Warriors' Monta Ellis, who collided with the Lakers' Derek Fisher and fell to the floor before the ball was in-bounded. Kobe Bryant, who was intentionally fouled on the ensuing Lakers possession, then knocked down two free throws in a 123-119 Los Angeles victory.
Many, especially Warriors fans, thought if there was a foul at all, it was committed by Fisher. Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, agreed.
"We did review," Jackson said. "The call was incorrect. After looking at the play, the foul was on Fisher and not Ellis. It appeared that Fisher pulled Ellis down."
Jackson said the league informed the Warriors of its analysis. Delaney also was informed, though Jackson kept the discussions with the respected referee confidential.
Here's the highlight, for those of you interested in reliving history. Personally, I'd have swallowed my whistle (how do you call anything in that dog pile at that point in the game?). But the complaint heard , well, everywhere in the Golden State camp that Fish yanked Ellis down has been vindicated, though the victory is completely hollow at this point. In the end, every team has moments like this throughout a season, where they benefit/lose out on a call. In the end, though, it likely all evens out.
BK
Anyone know the last time Stu Jackson went against a ref call like that?
Looking forward to Kobe's new demeanor new tonight and I hope Kwame gets a good reception tonight. (He did get Gasol!)
Have a good one!
Posted by: Lakers Legacy | March 28, 2008 at 01:19 PM
What about the call at the end of regulation sending Baron Davis to the line for two tying free throws? That call affected this game as much as this one did and went in the Warriors' favor.
Posted by: Vincent | March 28, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Gee, Stu Jackson finding a call that favors the Lakers was incorrect.... What a surprise.
Posted by: Rick Friedman | March 28, 2008 at 01:54 PM
MJCMAN32,
You said, "Kobe has better numbers than Paul except in assists and has no other all stars on his team. He is also leading the Lakers with 2 starters out."
If you meant also except steals, FG percentage, and FT percentage, then you're correct.
Your other points make a stronger case, but I'm not sure you can call Odom a non-star the way he's been playing lately.
Kobe does deserve the MVP, but I don't think you do a very good job of making the case.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 28, 2008 at 01:55 PM
How in the world could that be a foul on Fisher? At from what I saw, Ellis barreled through Fisher. It could have been a no-call, but no way was that a foul on Fisher. Stu Jackson is out of his f***ing mind.
Posted by: laker hopeful | March 28, 2008 at 02:33 PM
I hope the Lakers don't win the title this year, because after learning about this it just wouldn't feel right!
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 28, 2008 at 12:33 PM
LOL, that might be the sarcastic comment of the year...
Posted by: pslakerfan | March 28, 2008 at 03:14 PM
Maybe it should have been a no call, or maybe it should have been a foul both ways, but the point is that the refs were wrong to take the game out of the players hands with 4 seconds left. That is the biggest sin in reffing in any sport. Period. And no need to whine, or we can start talking about Fishes complete hack on Brandan wright with 1 sec left at the end of the 3rd.
Posted by: WarriorFan | March 28, 2008 at 03:37 PM
Wow,
If he knows it, then that's worse, much worse. He happens to be the self-proclaimed leader of this team. He has said that himself many times. A leader leads by example. A professional acts professionally.
Mycal Thompson, Money Smith, Steve Hartman, Petros, all those guys on KLAC except for VTB agree with me. Kobe needs to find a professional way to communicate his feelings to the officials.
Kobe has acted immature and unprofessionally for way too long. His refusal to meet with reporters is just another example of his childish ways. He calls himself the team's leader. Hs IS the Laker captain. He shouldn't give reporters a cold shoulder and run off.
Maybe CP3 is just 22 and only in the league for 3 years, but, face it, Wow, he shows a lot more maturity than Kobe.
Posted by: lotecq | March 28, 2008 at 04:21 PM
Ellis tried to run through Fisher- that's a foul. They wouldn't have called it though except that Barron did the same thing to Kobe. The only way that wasn't a foul on Ellis would have been if they'd called it on Davis in the first place.
Posted by: cvlfan | March 28, 2008 at 06:11 PM
How can the league have the nerve to review the Lakers/Warriors call at all. Look at how many non call's the Lakers got lately and compare the foul Erik Damplier of the Dallas Mavericks gave Kobe Bryant. Damplier went for Kobe's body and they just called it a personal foul but Kobe was assessed a flagrant either on the same game or another game I don't remember but the replay clearly showed Kobe was going for the ball. I know Kobe has been complaining a lot lately but he has a ligitimate complaint.
Posted by: ball don't lie | March 28, 2008 at 11:07 PM
as most everything else experienced by a human being throughout his daily life, the motive of this call, conscious or not, revolves around money. it is simply silly to posit that officiating in any professional sport, or profession for that matter, have some sort of "fairness" which is somehow at once vague and implicitly true. the warriors will, on average, receive far fewer calls in their favor because they represent a smaller market. the NBA will always cater to it's more marketable teams because it is a business. just like Microsoft, the Roman Catholic Church, and the good ol' US of A, groups of individuals will gather to amass power and wealth, and manage it carefully. so, to use an analogy, the warriors are to the NBA what Kenya is to the Roman Catholic Church. they'll take it, but it's not really anywhere near the top of the priority list.
Posted by: Mike | March 29, 2008 at 12:39 PM
I totally agree. The foul was NO WAY on MONTA ELLIS. It could have been a no call but Fisher just completely flopped. MOnta did nothing. He was just trying to get open and Fisher just fell. Monta did not foul him AT ALL.
Posted by: Kellie Hurley | March 30, 2008 at 09:21 PM