Sazar
02-11-09, 02:54 AM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/viewcast/2009/02/10/index.html?contestId=24394&vendorId=2009021011&vendorVisitTeam=5&vendorHomeTeam=11&pageType=recap
LeBron James grudgingly lived with the NBA's non-star treatment Tuesday night.
Cleveland coach Mike Brown could not.
After James scored 47 points and almost single-handedly rallied the Cavaliers to force overtime, the unthinkable happened. James, the NBA's No. 2 scorer, drew a foul with 0.2 seconds left, and Danny Granger made 1-of-2 free throws to seal an improbable 96-95 victory that sent James to the locker room in disgust and the usually composed Brown into a tirade.
''That last call, on the run, is the worst call that I have ever been a part of,'' Brown said. ''I cannot imagine another worse call than that. It was an awful call and for him to take away a basketball game from a team with .4 seconds on the clock is irresponsible.''
A few moments earlier, the Pacers thought they had been wronged.
Leading 95-93 with 0.8 seconds left, the Cavs tried an alley-oop play to James off the inbounds pass. Granger stepped in front of James, who couldn't catch the ball but drew the foul, and then made both free throws to tie it at 95.
After a timeout, the Pacers ran the same play. This time, with Granger cutting to the basket and James chasing, Granger got the call.
''Luckily, we ran a good play and got the same call,'' Granger said.
If ANYONE watched the game, the whole thing with coach Brown claiming that Cleveland was robbed is a sham. The Pacers fought and were themselves almost robbed when Lebron got a bailout call on a lob-pass with 0.8 seconds to go. He could not have caught the ball and taken a shot from the angle he had and Granger had position. Yet he didn't have any complaints in taking the 2 free-throws and the game was tied.
Same play on the other end and the SAME result. Pacers score first free-throw to take the lead and then Granger intentionally misses so that Cleveland has no time left.
This is the bit that I love btw :)
''The last call against me was not questionable at all,'' James contended. ''No contact was made. The pass was short. You couldn't go to the rim. I was able to get a hand on it.''
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''It was predetermined from the call that was made at the other end of the floor, and it is very unfortunate,'' Brown said. ''We got the game taken away from us. Absolutely horrible.''
First of all, James had MORE contact on Granger and pushed him away from the ball. On the opposite end Granger turned and simply jumped straight up for the ball, not into Lebron. On both plays, Lebron initiated the contact.
Secondly, Brown has full right to defend his players but given how atrocious the call on the other end was, there is absolutely no reason for him to sit down and whine about the last call. The PACERS were robbed. There should have been no final free-throw. The game should have been over after the Pacers scored with about a second to go.
The hypocrisy is ridiculous.
LeBron James grudgingly lived with the NBA's non-star treatment Tuesday night.
Cleveland coach Mike Brown could not.
After James scored 47 points and almost single-handedly rallied the Cavaliers to force overtime, the unthinkable happened. James, the NBA's No. 2 scorer, drew a foul with 0.2 seconds left, and Danny Granger made 1-of-2 free throws to seal an improbable 96-95 victory that sent James to the locker room in disgust and the usually composed Brown into a tirade.
''That last call, on the run, is the worst call that I have ever been a part of,'' Brown said. ''I cannot imagine another worse call than that. It was an awful call and for him to take away a basketball game from a team with .4 seconds on the clock is irresponsible.''
A few moments earlier, the Pacers thought they had been wronged.
Leading 95-93 with 0.8 seconds left, the Cavs tried an alley-oop play to James off the inbounds pass. Granger stepped in front of James, who couldn't catch the ball but drew the foul, and then made both free throws to tie it at 95.
After a timeout, the Pacers ran the same play. This time, with Granger cutting to the basket and James chasing, Granger got the call.
''Luckily, we ran a good play and got the same call,'' Granger said.
If ANYONE watched the game, the whole thing with coach Brown claiming that Cleveland was robbed is a sham. The Pacers fought and were themselves almost robbed when Lebron got a bailout call on a lob-pass with 0.8 seconds to go. He could not have caught the ball and taken a shot from the angle he had and Granger had position. Yet he didn't have any complaints in taking the 2 free-throws and the game was tied.
Same play on the other end and the SAME result. Pacers score first free-throw to take the lead and then Granger intentionally misses so that Cleveland has no time left.
This is the bit that I love btw :)
''The last call against me was not questionable at all,'' James contended. ''No contact was made. The pass was short. You couldn't go to the rim. I was able to get a hand on it.''
---
''It was predetermined from the call that was made at the other end of the floor, and it is very unfortunate,'' Brown said. ''We got the game taken away from us. Absolutely horrible.''
First of all, James had MORE contact on Granger and pushed him away from the ball. On the opposite end Granger turned and simply jumped straight up for the ball, not into Lebron. On both plays, Lebron initiated the contact.
Secondly, Brown has full right to defend his players but given how atrocious the call on the other end was, there is absolutely no reason for him to sit down and whine about the last call. The PACERS were robbed. There should have been no final free-throw. The game should have been over after the Pacers scored with about a second to go.
The hypocrisy is ridiculous.