Regarding the Refs...

Referee conspiracy theories are everywhere in the NBA, but for fans who were victimized by Larry Johnson's four-point play almost twenty years ago, they seem to especially be amplified in Indiana.

The Pacers' sluggish first quarter and missed opportunities late ultimately cost them in last night's 100-97 loss in Cleveland. However, there were some questionable calls (or no-calls) that particularly drew the ire of fans.

Here are the two that most people had a problem with:

To be fair about this one, there was a Lance push-off on the other end a possession or two prior, so maybe the officials felt like it was a make-up to swallow the whistle here. Regardless, it's pretty egregious. Even if Lance oversold that a bit, a play like that should be automatic.

Next:

Ah, the old "fake, jump into a defender" move that Reggie Miller perfected. This was a big call because it came during a sequence when the Pacers were surging back into the game. The NBA has tried to clean this up recently - a shooter jumping to the side to initiate contact like this should technically be an offensive foul - but officials don't seem to call it correctly. I guess old habits die hard.

I'm not referee conspiracy guy. I don't think games are rigged. Do stars get favorable calls? Yes. Do refs miss calls, sometimes blatantly? Yes. I've seen the Pacers get jobbed in a playoff game before (trust me, I grew up a Knicks fan so I saw it firsthand), but I don't believe last night was one of those instances. Indiana's sloppy play down the stretch and lethargic start ultimately cost them in a game they could've easily won. If anything, last night's sub-par performance nearly leading to a commanding 2-0 series lead should bring you more encouragement about the rest of the series than anything else.

What is your take on the officiating? Leave it on our Fox Sports 97.5 Facebook page.


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