Where's The Foul?

The Nets once again, for the 2nd straight game, had the opportunity to give themselves another last second victory. But it didn’t end in a positive way this time for the Nets. Just 2 days after RJ hit that incredible shot driving to the hole with 1.5 seconds left against the Bulls on Saturday night, and then hitting the foul shot to seal it, VC had the same opportunity, but if he hit the shot, instead of it being tied, would have sealed the game. So I will just describe the last minute and a half of the game for you. Nets are down 89-84, RJ attempted a jump shot, missed, but recovered his own rebound, kicked it out and VC-3 hit the trey to make it a 2 point game, 89-87, with 1:24 left. Miami has possession, but Dwayne Wade is called on an offensive foul against Jason Collins (I think it was nice flop, Vlade-esque, but that might have been the only call that went the Nets way all game). Nets gain possession and then RJ assists VC on an 18ft fade away jump shot, nothing but net, tie game. This is where I went nuts. So now there are 45 seconds left. At this point I’m thinking to myself “even if Miami does score, Nets will plenty of time to plan for a shot in RJ or VC hands.” The heat take the ball down the court, then with about 5 seconds left on the shot clock Gary Payton throws up a 3 point shot, missed, long rebound, but ‘Zo recovers the rebound and calls a timeout. There is a .3 second differential between the game clock and shot clock, which means that Miami will be holding for the last shot. They come out of the timeout and obviously, the ball is in Wades hands. He starts driving earlier than expected. He goes into the lane and RJ is called for a reaching in, where it clearly shows that he barely touched him, no foul should have been called. The refs have been seriously favoring the Heat all game. The most obvious time was at the end of the 1st half when Collins was hit above the eye and needed 7 stitches, but still, no foul was called against the Heat, and they went on to score a bucket. But anyway, back to the end of the game. So because of a bogus foul call, Wade gets put to the line. Good news: There is 5 seconds on the game clock and the Nets have 2 time outs. At this point, the Nets are figuring Wade will hit both free throws and they will call a time out and go for a tie, unless Lawrence Frank feels Vermeil-ish and goes for the 3 and the win instead. But Wade missed his 1st free throw, and hit his 2nd. Nets: timeout. After the timeout the inbound the ball at mid court, gets into Carters hands so that he can drive to the basket, get a shot off and hopefully draw a foul. He drives to the hole, beats Wade to the left, ‘Zo helps by stepping up to contest VC’s drive and shot. VC pulls up and ‘Zo blatantly makes contact with VC. It was so obvious that even ‘Zo acknowledged at the end of the game that a foul could have been called, but it wasn’t. The refs gave the game away. VC should have been put to the line, with the game on the line. Horrible call. Absolutely absurd. This would have given the Nets first victory over the Heat in 10 games. Now they have lost 10 consecutive games to the Heat. And this would have given the Nets a 3-1 record to start the season, and an exuberant amount of confidence, especially if they had won last night, it would have been two emotional victories for them.

But even though they did not win, there were some highlights that I was pleased with which all included a certain player on the Heat, Alonzo “Cryin’ Baby” Mourning. (Is there a bigger baby in the league than Mourning?---Ok, let me guess, I’ll take heat for making calling him a baby because of his kidney transplant. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for him for that and I give him all the credit for playing, but c’mon, he’s always been a crier and complainer, and I have never liked him.) But when VC dunked over him for the 1st time, it was sweet. But when RJ made the ferocious dunk over ‘Zo with RJ screaming made it glorious. If RJ had only flexed his arm to ‘Zo, that would have been vindication. But when VC had the emphatic dunk over ‘Zo in the 3rd quarter last night, which made my night. It was one of the best dunks that I have seen and will see all season.