Last NIght's Clippers/Spurs Game Was A Disgrace To The Sport

Listen, I am not one to complain about officiating. Especially in a game like basketball, that forces an official to make hundreds of judgement calls in the span of 2 and a half hours. I tend to disregard someone's argument when they complain about a single call made over the course of a game that requires so many of them. With that said, when there is a pattern of porous officiating during a game it doesn't take too long to become very noticeable. Last night's game was one of those games. That's not to say that the Clippers weren't responsible for the outcome of the game in their own right. They certainly weren't without blame for some of their mistakes. However, those mistakes become much more pronounced when the officials are literally taking points off of the board in the other teams favor. The refs didn't lose the game for the Clippers, they did a fair job of doing that themselves. However, they certainly didn't do them any favors.

I don't even know where to start. The 'offensive interference' that changed a Matt Barnes tap in to a turnover? Blake Griffin's breakaway layup turned 'walk'? The countless times Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker drove the lane contested and threw their hands up when they realized they had no chance of getting off a decent shot? Let me tell you something about Manu Ginobili. If the league was really serious about fining players for flopping Ginobili would have to play professional basketball until he's 60 years old to pay the league back for all of his fines. It was one thing when he was one of the better basketball players in the sport. Now he's just an old, balding bastard that draws calls every damn play because he is an awkward lefty and he has the ability to make harmless contact look like attempted rape. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin is getting sexually assaulted in the lane while the ref only gets involved so he can be included in some double penetration.

Regardless of all that. Regardless of a 14 point 1st quarter lead evaporating in a matter of minutes. Regardless of Blake Griffin's 4th quarter turnovers, and DeAndre Jordan's foul shooting woes. The Clippers still had a chance to win with 5 seconds left and a correct call, for once, on a DeAndre put back spoiled that opportunity. It just seems when the stakes are at their largest, the Clippers aren't mentally at their sharpest. That will have to change if they ever want be more than a great regular season team. Game 6 in San Antonio would be a fantastic place to start.