It's not often something really sucks and is really fun at the same time, but last night's Pacers-Heat showdown was both of those things. And you get a feeling it was just round one.
The Pacers edged out a 84-83 win versus Miami in a heated, physical, playoff-caliber game in Indiana Wednesday night. Sadly, the story of the game was the poor officiating, not just against Miami, but also on both ends. The officials could not have called this game worse if they tried. Let's review their most terrible calls against the Heat.
The Heat had its chances, and blaming the refs for a loss is mad-weak sauce, definitely very un-bro, but sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade. Then you have to use the internet to prove your case. If only the officials had monitors on the sidelines to see how wrong they were! The NBA should really think about hooking that up.
The play pictured below resulted in a basket taken off the board and Wade called out of bounds.
Doesnt matter....not why they lost...but wow. pic.twitter.com/GYQdDWtBqF
— Rizz (@Rizzmigizz) March 27, 2014
Wade on his 3 that was called off: "I'm pretty good at tightroping."
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) March 27, 2014
This was called a "common foul," not a flagrant foul. LeBron was tackled at the basket -- literally tackled.
Common foul. pic.twitter.com/LJPFFSb6vz
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) March 27, 2014
Bosh: "If you can come down and clothesline somebody, it's open season and people are gonna get hurt."
— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) March 27, 2014
And then LeBron was called for the rare offensive flagrant foul on this play, in one of the worst calls you will ever see in a basketball game.
LeBron on his flagrant: "If I can jump up in the air and elbow someone in the face and finish a play, I must be a kung-fu master."
— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) March 27, 2014
Eventually, after much jawing back and forth all game between both sides, the refs threw out Lance Stephenson in the fourth quarter for taunting. Dwyane Wade had a classic response to Stephenson's attempt at intimidation.
Wade is like... pic.twitter.com/M9W5Ts1GuY
— Pablo G (@PabloGRadio) March 27, 2014
In short, this was truly an embarrassing performance by the officials. That's no excuse for Miami, because Indiana deserved this one, but the refs flat-out shit the bed.
These two teams meet for round two April 11 in Miami. We hope that game goes better for the Heat -- and the refs.
And now for something to make you feel better.
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