Scott Foster is Not the Enemy
Sean Highkin | Monday, February 6, 2012 at 11:23PM Here are a few stats from the Blazers’ Monday home loss to the Thunder:
Oklahoma City rebounds: 59
Portland rebounds: 39
Oklahoma City fast-break points: 20
Portland fast-break points: 7
Oklahoma City second-chance points: 22
Portland second-chance points: 14
Scott Foster’s goaltending call on LaMarcus Aldridge was awful. There’s no getting around that. The game should have been 103-101 with six seconds remaining in regulation. It’s very possible that the Blazers would have won had the correct call been made. But had Aldridge’s block stood, Oklahoma City would have had the ball back with more than enough time to execute a final play for either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook to tie or win the game. The call absolutely shifted momentum in the Thunder’s favor in the waning seconds of regulation, but a Blazers victory was no sure thing regardless.
You’re not going to win too many games being outrebounded by 20. Aside from Marcus Camby grabbing his usual 15 boards, the most any Blazer pulled down was six. Throughout the game Portland was outhustled for every rebound and every loose ball. Serge Ibaka alone had seven offensive rebounds and created lots of second-chance opportunities for himself.
And then there’s Portland’s continued inability to finish fast-break opportunities, which has been a problem all season. All night, the Blazers’ guards looked tentative in the open court, where Westbrook and James Harden were relentless on the other end. They also blew two late-game possessions that could have put the game away, one ending in a shot-clock violation and the other ending in a forced Aldridge turnaround jumper that had no prayer. That they were even as close as they were is a testament to the scoring prowess of Aldridge.
So, yeah. The goaltending call sucked. It happens. And I get that the solidarity of a collective declaration that your team got jobbed provides catharsis for a lot of fans. But putting all the blame on officiating for the outcome of a game is only warranted in extreme cases, like game six of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. This was not that. What it was is a game the Blazers had plenty of opportunities to win that they simply did not take advantage of, and that will unfortunately be obscured by one ill-advised whistle.
Reader Comments (11)
nah, it was the refs. blazers overcame everything for 48 minutes except a terrible call. forget rebounds, fast breaks, every other stat. the blazers overcame it all to have a lead with 6 seconds and they got jobbed out of it. if you had to put the fate of a game on an OT against the thunder or a james harden half court shot, which do you choose? i know which one the refs chose for us. could the blazers have overcome that? yes. but should they have? are you really going to defend a terrible call by saying the blazers sucked anyway? it's one game so it's not a big deal, but damn, that was a bad call.
Its always one ref. Thats one of the most terrible calls I have ever seen.
You make good points, but its hard to convert on things like rebounds and second-chance points, when the refs refuse to call over the backs (which accounted for at least half of their rebounds) and fouls. A perfect example was after Aldridge's block (which Foster called a goal tend), when Batum went up for the lay up and was hammered across the hand and didn't get the basket or the foul call. Plain and simple, those refs cold not call a fair game on either side of the court. My friend who is an OKC fan, was there with me last night and we both agreed the calls we terribly inconsistent and the game got chippy because they let it get that way. This game was controlled by the officials from the start. I just wish media personnel would not down play it so much. The officials need to be penalized just like play would be if they spoke out. But instead, the NBA controls everything so they can make the most money.
The calls were bad but they would not have mattered if they would have scored in the last two min. I just get uncomfortable with refs that like to really get animated with their calls. Just blow your whistle and make the had gesture. You don't need to jump around and run to mid court to make your call. Just makes me feel like the refs are trying to be a part of the game.
There at the start of the 4th the refs were kind of making me uncomfortable with calls for Portland. They were calling things on the Thunder that were not fouls. I wish the refs would just make the right calls and let the better team win, but I know they aren't perfect...
"had Aldridge’s block stood, Oklahoma City would have had the ball back with more than enough time to execute a final play for either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook to tie or win the game"
Not so sure I agree with your detective work there, Sean. Had 'the call' not been made, the Blazers would have had a 2 point lead WITH POSSESSION, meaning OKC would've been forced to foul. The blazers then would have had a (probably) 3 or (ideally) 4 point lead with about 5 seconds left, meaning the Blazers' victory was just that much closer to 'a sure thing.'
Horrible call...
That being said, the Blazers gave this game away in classic fashion. 1-8 in games decided by 6 points or less?!? It pains me to say it, but this is a mentally weak team that tightens up at the first sign of late-game pressure.
Baaaaad call!!! That was a perfect block by the blazers! The ref just couldn't wait to make a call to get the blazers to lose.
If it were on o.k. end, he would have allowed it Penalize the ref and give the game to Portland.
Baaaaad. Call!!
STUPID ****ING SCOTT FOSTER FIXING GAMES!
NO WESELY GOT THE BALL AT THE END OF THE PLAY!
Foster was 40' from the basket when he made that call. 40 FEET. Of course he got it wrong. Easy to understand the mistake. How was he in any position to make that call? Isn't that Referee 101? Who approved this guy and his mechanics? That's the NBA for you. I mean for OKC.
Not doubt the PTB did not deserve that game. At one point, they were 3 for 9 from the free throw line. 3 for 9? Damn, one more make at that point and game over. This is one frustrating team. They set us up for frustration with their hot start. That's the nature of sports. Gotta Love it! While I'm Hatin' it.
Before posting a commentary on such a controversial topic, you might want to get the facts straight. Like many others said, if the call had not been made the Blazers had possession of the ball with 6 seconds left. So even though it is admirable to stick up for Scott Foster who was so incredibly wrong for making that call, you lose credibility when you have false information in your article. Therefore, making the rest of the information in your article appear to be untrue. It's a simple argumentation technique, check your sources... or maybe ACTUALLY WATCH the game?
GO BLAZERS!