In the early morning of Beijing time today (2nd), the NBA playoffs Western Conference semifinals, the Warriors won 117-116 away to the Grizzlies. The referee's controversial penalty in this game has deepened the feud between the two teams.
Since last year's playoffs, the Grizzlies and Warriors have become a new pair of sworn enemies in the league, last year's playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated the Warriors without being optimistic, so that the latter worked hard for a season to finally miss the playoffs, this season's 4 regular season encounters, the Grizzlies have won 3 of them, so for the Warriors, the Grizzlies are the opponents they must defeat on the road to success.
Today's first game of the Western Conference Semifinals can also be said to have continued the feud between the two teams, in the game, Morant once again showed his youthful madness, but the Warriors became the ultimate winner, they won with Thompson's three points and two successful defenses against Morant at key moments, but in addition, the referee's decision in this game may be more enjoyable, but also more able to deepen the feud between the two teams.
With 1:18 left in the second quarter, Warriors player Draymond Green fouled Clark who was trying to get a layup in defense, and then Green made a downward pull on the jersey during Clarke's fall, both of which were eventually awarded a second-degree malicious foul by the referee, and Green was expelled.
Opinions quickly went on whether Green's foul should be a second-degree malicious foul, but the vast majority of people sided with the Warriors, believing that it should not be a second-degree malicious foul, jazz star Mitchell said, "This is a second-degree malicious foul? Trey Young also tweeted, "Can't the players decide the game?" Lillard also tweeted, "Please, we need to have a better understanding of these rules." ”
The NBA game also attracted the attention of German star Tony Kroos, who played for Real Madrid, and Kroos was surprised by the referee's decision to expel Green, "Is this a second-degree malicious foul? "And Ait took the NBA referee.
The Warriors were also dissatisfied with the referee's decision after the game, and as a party, Green also seemed helpless, saying that he even thought that even a level 1 malicious foul would not be blown, "I am stupid enough, I thought it would not even be blown into a first-level malicious foul." I thought it was the style of the playoffs, it could be a little tougher, not as soft as the regular season, you know? You can go to collisions more, you can escape a little bit. I was stupid enough to think I wouldn't even get a first-degree malicious foul. If you want to call anyone an idiot, find Draymond Green. I think tonight is more due to my prestige than to tough fouls. If we look at the definition of a second-degree malicious foul, I'm not sure that round can fully meet the definition of a malicious foul, and I'm not sure that's enough. ”
Green also said, "One thing about that foul was that I really tried to hold him up. The players were told that I was kicked out of the game for pulling him down, which was funny because even though he fell to the ground, I still pulled on his jersey. At this point, I'm kind of expecting something like this. I was once banned from playing in the G5 of the NBA Finals. Do you think I didn't believe for a second that I would be banished in the second round of G1? I wasn't surprised at all, not surprised at all. We saw some problematic blows in the first round. Some things don't get retried, and sometimes I think it's just something that varies from person to person, and it's a matter of reputation. I think tonight was not so much a serious foul as a reputational problem. ”
Of course, the Grizzlies will certainly be very happy with the referee's decision, Brandon Clark, who was dragged to the ground by Green, said after the game, "He is famous for malicious fouls in his career, and I have seen his bad criminals on TV, and I am not surprised by this." Green then responded to Clark's response on social media, with the Warriors players paired with a series of bitter smiles.
Referee Kane Fitzgerald also explained after the game why he blew off a second-degree malicious foul, "because that physical contact was considered unnecessary and excessive overall, which led to the second-degree malicious foul and expulsion." The first part is his waving of his arms and the apparent contact with his face, then from grabbing the opposing jersey to throwing a player in a vulnerable position in the air onto the floor, which is unnecessary and excessive. This led to a second-degree malicious foul. ”
In addition to Green's decision, the referee's several penalties in the fourth quarter are also debatable, and the referee's decision seems to be favorable to the Grizzlies, such as the fourth quarter Curry breakthrough and Dillon Brooks collision, the final referee awarded Curry an offensive foul, such as the last moment when Thompson missed two free throws, the basketball was out of the bottom line in the scramble, but the referee did not look back at the route, but finally awarded a penalty for the ball, but from the slow motion, this ball is likely to be the Grizzlies player Dillon Brooks finally touched the ball, The ball should belong to the Warriors.
So many penalties against the Warriors also allowed the Warriors to get unanimous pity from the outside world after the game, and the famous data website StatMuse said on Twitter that the Warriors won a 5vs8 (3 referees) game, knowing that StatMuse is ESPN's website, which is enough to prove how debatable the referee's decision in this game is.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they finally won the game, and in the case of a rather unfavorable referee level, such a victory by the Warriors can undoubtedly increase the confidence of the team to win this round of the series to a greater extent.
Of course, such a game will undoubtedly exacerbate the feud between the two teams, the next game, Green will return, his confrontation with Clark, the confrontation between Morant and Currypur and others is destined to be bloody, although warrior coach Kerr does not feel that there is a grudge between the team and the Warriors, but when the two teams that have met many times in the past year and have many stories meet in the semifinals, they are destined to fight to the death.
Basketball games, in the end, still have to speak in terms of achievements, and the feud between the Warriors and the Grizzlies, after G1, is not over.
Wen | Li Hui
Edit | Fat Cat