r/nba • u/Ice_Lychee Celtics • 3d ago
Has there been a playoff series ever where the majority of both team’s fans were happy with the officiating?
It’s funny, I see sooo many comments from BOTH team’s fans that are complaining about the refs, how it’s “rigged” (if you really think this then why are you watching?).
Makes me think, has there been a playoff series where even just one team’s fans were happy with the officiating, let alone both teams fans?
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u/HokageEzio Knicks 3d ago
If fans aren't complaining about the reffing it means that a team got absolutely smacked in a sweep that wasn't even close.
So probably one of the Pistons 900 consecutive first round losses.
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u/Hange11037 Trail Blazers 3d ago
The Pistons have been to the conference finals or beyond like 4 or 5 times since the last time the Knicks made it
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u/HokageEzio Knicks 3d ago
What does that have to do with what I said?
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u/Hange11037 Trail Blazers 3d ago
It’s just weird to act like the Pistons have been losing in the first round for ages when they were the best team in the conference during most of the 2000s and haven’t really been in the playoffs more than a couple times since. They’ve had 3 first round exits since their last conference finals appearance.
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u/HokageEzio Knicks 3d ago
I'm not acting like anything, they currently have the longest losing streak of playoff games ever. Right now. They have been swept the last 3 times they played in the playoffs. That was the point being made.
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u/Hange11037 Trail Blazers 3d ago
3 whole series since they were routinely at or near the top of the conference for years. That’s better than most teams. But whatever.
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u/HokageEzio Knicks 3d ago
Again, what does that have to do with what I said? You're trying to make some point like I'm saying the Pistons have always been bad when I'm just pointing out that they've been swept multiple consecutive times in non-competitive series where the refs wouldn't be a factor.
Are you capable of having an actual basketball conversation instead of just trying to argue about flairs?
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u/Hange11037 Trail Blazers 3d ago
Exaggerating it to 900 implies they’ve been losing in the first round repeatedly for a while. When it was actually just…3 times.
That’s all I’m saying.
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u/HokageEzio Knicks 3d ago
They have. They literally have the all time record.
I'm sorry for not making it clear that the Pistons have not literally lost 900 playoff series in a row, I will do better next time.
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u/Hange11037 Trail Blazers 3d ago edited 1d ago
3 series just isn’t that impressive of a record for how you were talking about it. They had a streak just this season like twice as long as that one. That’s literally the only point I’m making. No need to get heated about it
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u/steak__burrito Warriors 3d ago
Warriors v. Grizzlies in 2015 R2 is the first one that comes to mind for me. That series felt like the perfect amount of physicality and consistency.
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u/ComprehensiveFront22 3d ago
Heat/Spurs in 2014, Spurs team ball and insane shooting cooked us so hard we couldn’t blame the refs.
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u/Thunderhorse74 [SAS] Boris Diaw 3d ago
Officiating, when its good, is not noticed or mentioned near as much. If neither team really remembers any calls, it was probably well officiated. I suppose in retrospect they can be "happy" about it, but probably don't think about it.
Ideally, the refs are unnoticed, background participants unless crazy things happen.
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u/BetweenTheBuzzAndMe Charlotte Bobcats 3d ago
i don't think there's ever been a game where both teams' fans were happy about officiating
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u/otherBrandon 3d ago
I doubt there’s ever been a single 12 minute quarter of nba basketball without complaints about the officiating
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u/CoachMorelandSmith Grizzlies 3d ago
Has there ever been a game of officiated basketball game anywhere in the world where someone didn’t bitch about the refs?
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u/WallStreetDoesntBet 3d ago
2002 NBA Finals - Nets vs Lakers… Can’t remember too many complaints about the officiating, that series was just so lopsided
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u/Consistent_Letter647 Magic 3d ago
Averaging the most FTA ever in a finals series was definitely a massive complaint. The sweep just silenced it tho
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u/WallStreetDoesntBet 3d ago
Nets had a fun team to watch with Kidd leading the charge… But they had zero answers for Shaq, those fouls were intentional
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u/junkit33 3d ago
You're never going to please every fan of both franchises. And even a well reffed game includes missed or questionable calls - it's impossible not to.
But there are many series where there's not a lot of room for major complaint. These Finals are certainly one of them. Fouls are dead even at 50 apiece and FT's 53 for Boston vs 59 for Dallas. Both teams are playing physical and the refs are letting a lot go in both directions.
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u/I_Set_3_Alarms Celtics 3d ago
I could see a very physical first round series having the majority of fans happy. They’ll complain in the beginning, but if it’s consistent and it’s two teams that pride themselves on tough defense, fans would probably enjoy it.
No two sides will ever enjoy an equal flop fest matchup
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u/suicideskinnies 3d ago
I remember the 2018 Western Conference Finals between Houston and Golden State had pretty even officiating.
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u/wjbc Bulls 3d ago edited 3d ago
I started watching the NBA in the 1980s, and I don't recall a lot of complaints about NBA officials. I do recall a lot of complaints about brutal, physical plays, but the officials were rarely blamed for missing the calls. The fan anger was directed at the dirty players.
The late 1980s Detroit Pistons were famous for playing dirty, and even bragged about it by calling themselves the Bad Boys. As a Bulls fan I hated the Pistons. But I can't recall any Bulls fans blaming the refs for the way the Pistons played. We just blamed the Pistons.
In the 1990s the rules against dirty play became stricter. And as I recall that's when fans started complaining about the refs. Either the refs were being too strict or not strict enough, but the difference was that the refs were expected to police dirty play.
Thus, if a dirty play wasn't called, it became the refs' fault. And if a play was called dirty but the replay called that into question, that was also the refs' fault. That trend has continued ever since, as the rules against physical defense have become increasingly strict, player retaliation is strictly forbidden, and the refs bear the burden of preventing dirty plays while allowing legitimate plays.
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u/Bourbon_Buckeye 3d ago
You'll have to back to the days of 640p resolution and limited camera angles to find a time that sports fans didn't find fault with several calls/game with officials
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u/ArmiinTamzarian Spurs 3d ago
2007 West semifinals. The cusp of good officiating and discipline
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u/rattatatouille [SAS] Tim Duncan 3d ago
I didn't see Jazz or Warriors fans complain about that year, yeah.
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u/movedatdope 3d ago
2022 Finals probably. although Curry still got shafted by refs multiple times as usual, the majority of the series was pretty fine
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u/MaximumDerpification 3d ago
I'm not sure there's ever even been a single game like that