Published: May 26, 2009
Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals reminded us of at least three explicit truths. The first two of these relate directly to basketball while the third is a higher-concept around the law of identity.
First, Denver is a determined team with a steely resolve that should see them never counted out of a game, whether they are at home in front of their terrific fans or on the road in a hostile environment.
Second, when their bench is producing, the Nuggets have a more complete and dangerous roster than the Lakers that brings more passion and eagerness at nearly every turn, even if that passion blows up on themselves now and again.
Finally, Denver’s impressive blowout win Monday night reminded us that, at a certain point, a leopard doesn’t change its spots and the “why” of something’s identity does not matter as much as the “what.”
As the wise Aristotle – the Greek, not the guy playing for the Phoenix Suns – might explain, you are defined by your behavior. You are what you repeatedly do. To put it another way, one might look to former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green for an explanation: everyone involved in these Conference Finals are “who we thought they were.”
For the Lakers, that means they are a group that continues to be inconsistent in its ability to rebound and defend with vigor. It means they lean heavily on Kobe Bryant to carry their scoring and emotional needs. It means they will suffer through unpredictable play from Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. Finally, it means that they will have to live with their resolve being questioned and written off heading into a series-changing Game 5.
For the Nuggets, that means they depend on Chauncey Billups’ heady and anchored leadership. It means they must live with the mercurial J.R. Smith’s antics as he hits huge shots yet insists on making a buffoon out of himself after every one of them. It means trusting Anthony to attack the rim and be aggressive even when struggling. Lastly, it means believing that the defensive presence and offensive rebounding spark that Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin provide will make up for their limitations on offense.
What brings us to the dreaded third party in this dance, the referees, the mediator that are best seen and not heard from but who collectively seem determined to make themselves the focal point of each game.
Between them, Denver and Los Angeles combined to shoot 84 free throws on Monday. That means that there were nearly two foul shots for every minute of play. This on the heels of the 76 free throws attempted in Game 3 last Saturday.
Note to NBA officials everywhere: the paying customer is not coming to the arena, whether it be in Denver, Cleveland, Orlando, or Los Angeles, to watch you make foul calls. They are not tuning in on television to watch you preside over the game like an overbearing parent.
We should be celebrating the brilliant team effort Denver showed us, but instead the focus will be on the referees and their seeming desire to be the stars of this postseason.
From over-reactionary flagrant fouls called (i.e. Andrew Bynum’s benign foul on Anderson late in the fourth) to those real but not called (i.e. Dahntay Jones’ dirty play against Bryant in the third quarter and his two-handed shove in Game 3) the officials have been out and out awful. Their poor performance knows no bias. They missed fouls on Gasol and Odom when they clobbered Anthony repeated at the rim the same way they missed Smith’s technical-worthy self-important antics.
The officials’ performance does not take credit and due praise away from Denver. The Nuggets earned every bit of this win. They now face the biggest game in franchise history in Game 5.
If we are to expect that these teams will be who we know them to be, that they will hold to what we know them to repeatedly do, we can expect to be in for something special on Wednesday night.
