The fix is in. Lakers are going to the playoffs.

who cares either team is getting slapped by the Spurs anyways

Wow, you definitely have some points there….

First off lakers have been 1st in free throw attempts all year because of the technique hack a Howard, and mark Jackson applied that technique to the lakers the last two times they played which is why the lakers got the calls. Secondly tonight against the spurs the lakers out rebounded and pit hustled them. As a nba fan you should know refs do not call anything the last two minutes of games.

What do people say whenever a good player or guy who has only played for one team his whole career gets traded? “It’s just business.” The NBA is a business. They aren’t just going to let a cash cow that is LA sports not generate extra revenue. Utah deserves to be in the playoffs more (especially with Kobe now done), but Stern wouldn’t let the Lakers NOT make it in. Call it conspiracy all you want, but its also a business decision.

Ref’s are not ensuring that LAL is making the playoffs, it’s just that refs make mistakes. As somebody who is from Europe and used to football (soccer), I can say that NBA-followers are lucky that ref’s can use video’s to make up for missed calls (unlike with football in Europe). Sure, some of the mistakes are terrible, but in the end ref’s are humans as well, which leaves the possibility for errors.

Ps: as a final note, I wanted to say that the rule about complaining to the ref’s resulting in a technical got a lot of negative attention, but in the end a rule like that will improve the game by letting players play the game, instead of complaining to the ref (something which doesn’t improve their game at all).

The refs are making all the other teams use hack a Howard? I mean pop went to it in the third and 4th quarters. Cry some more guys.

You have some good arguments here. But seeing your pic, I undestand how sore of a loser you are. How’s Minnesota doing lately? I’ve never heard of them ever since the first Iphone was invented.

There are a lot of intentional fouls by the other team on Howard going into these stats. So maybe some help. But not as much as the numbers indicate.

As a fan, and not a fan of the Lakers, I want to see them in the playoffs. The Jazz are nice, but they annoy me with their straddling of mediocrity since they won’t commit to the talented young big men. I’d rather see Lakers without Kobe in the playoffs. That is in part because I’d love to see a Pau Gasol based offense. And if Steve Nash can get back, then watching him run pick and role is also a ton of fun. Much more fun than the folks on the Jazz.

I don’t buy it… who on the Lakers would be getting the Jordan calls?

WIth Kobe being injured the Lakers are just another 8th seed hoping to catch fire in the playoffs.

As Wolves fans we need to worrymore about our own team at this juncture and not what teams that win 15-18 games more per season than what we just did.

At this time of year stats are always skued due to the fact that many teams are mailing it in because either like the Spurs/Heat they are resting players or like the bottom feeders that are hoping for ping pong balls.

Not buying it.

If you ask me, what team will shoot more free throws, a team with Howard, Kobe and Gasol or a team with Jefferson, Millsap, and Mo Williams, I’m going with the first one 10/10.

This is a classic, “box score reader” rather than a game-watcher. Teams are fouling Howard and they are fouling him HARD. It’s the only way to try to stop him because this dude is on a tear.

As I’ve said before, the Lakers, as a organization, have always been given the benefit of the doubt even when they don’t deserve it. If their jerseys said Kings, they wouldn’t be in the playoffs. Not because it’s fixed, but because they wouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt.

Regardless, I don’t see any team beating the Spurs, especially the Lakers without Kobe.

Actually Tongue-Out, if you had watched the Lakers/Warriors game, you would have seen numerous dubious calls.

And the fact the Jazz are dead last in FTs, the Lakers are 1st over these past couple of games is kind of sketchy. The Warrior’s didnt’ intentionally foul Howard at all.

Sure you can say you’re just watching the box score, but it is “suspicious” to say the least, not because there is a difference, but because of how extreme the difference is.

One ref calling 19 on the Warriors and 0 on the Lakers? C’mon man.

I’m a Warriors fan, and me and my friends were pissed as hell about the Lakers game. One play in particular, with less than a minute left, Warriors up by one, Dwight sets a screen for Steve Blake, sticks his knee out AND it’s a moving screen. Not only do they not call a foul on Howard, THEY CALL IT ON CURRY! But it doesn’t stop there: They said that he fouled BLAKE, not HOWARD! Blake wasn’t even TOUCHED!!!! That is when I was sure something was up.

It’s in the best interest of the league financially to have the Lakers in the playoffs. It’s immoral and cheating, but it’s good for those sleezy owners, lol.

This is interesting, but anyone who actually believes this farce is being ignorant in my opinion. If you actually think that a ref who was trying to sway the game would be so obvious as to call 19 fouls on one team and zero on another, than you must think that guy literally has a mental retardation. Do I think that there may be a couple individual refs aiding the Lakers? sure. Do I think that the NBA or the referees’ association is actually targeting the Jazz and aiding the Lakers? No, I think that’s ludicrous.

But still, these are interesting numbers…