Bowling, swimming, golf, and tennis are the only non-contact sports that are even marginally worthy of attention in Sports America. According to James Naismith's original conception, basketball was supposed to fit into the same category.
Besides, at this late date, what penalty does Kobe suffer from have a Flagrant 1 on his record? Do the Rockets get a bonus free throw and a bonus possession in retrospect? Just one more absurdity to consider when trying to make sense of how NBA games are officiated.
Speaking of which, one routinely applied technique that the refs employ to slither their way out of tight spots is to call double-techs on two contentious players. This is a cheap and easy way out that even Darrel Garretson abhorred. His advice to young refs was to T-up the originator of the fracas, then to subsequently call a tickle foul on the other participant, and then tech him too should his protest be too loud or too demonstrative.
Besides, why are grossly inferior refs like Violet Palmer and David Jones working playoff games? And why is Dick Bavetta still deemed to be a competent official?
In any case, no one team is favored beforehand by either the NBA brain trust or the refs on the floor. But there are several mitigating factors that both parties must always consider:
Which players are allowed to do whatever (plus when are they allowed to do so), and which players aren't given the same considerations? How close are the games?What's the status of the series?The only operative conspiracies here are of politics, and of judicial cowardice.
