i was watching the NBA's 52 greatest moments or something like that on NBAtv yesterday. of course the well hated 1997 western conference finals Rockets-Jazz shot was there. were malone gives Clyde the walking bear hug. anyhow........... with this ref - Donaghy- being caught for fixing games, i wondered if he was the ref in that game. i know it is opening old wounds, but it will make a lot of sense to completly not call that illegal pick, if he fixed that game. it also may make the pain of that game more tolerable. anyone knows how to find out who were the refs in that game?
Can we just let this Donaghy stuff drop and not bring it to this forum?? He's been busted, that was the past, let's move on.
From the story I read, I got the impression that he was messing with the point spread, but not trying to change the outcome of the game. From a moral standpoint, it seems a lot easier to convince yourself that what you're doing is okay if it's just that instead of winning by ten, a team wins by five - a lot different from actually changing the outcome. Although who knows?
I don't think dude has been accused of fixing games yet. I'm pretty sure he's only been accused of gambling on games he's officiated. It would be very hard for one ref to fix a game without the help of the others.
Considering he got his start in the NBA in 1994 I don't think he was probably bought by the MOB in 1997 nor would he have been refing playoff games. You do realize he's only been a ref in 20 playoff games in his career with 5 of those coming last year right?
The two other refs in the game could have blown the whistle if they thought it was worthy of a foul call.
All reports thus far claim that the alleged issues with the ref were only in the past 2 or 3 seasons.
There was a list of playoff games he reffed in the AP summary article, and none of them involved the Rockets, so I'd say no.
A more recent game (against Phoenix last year): Further, the New York Times reported Sunday that since Jan. 1, Donaghy refereed in 11 games in which the consensus Las Vegas line moved two points or more. The team on which bettors wagered heavily enough to move the line won seven of those 11 games. On Jan. 15, the Philadelphia 76ers were originally favored to beat the Toronto Raptors by a point. Bets came in so heavily on the Raptors that they eventually were favored to win by a point instead. The Raptors won in a 104-86 blowout. Two nights later, so much money was bet on the Phoenix Suns against the Houston Rockets that the consensus Las Vegas line, which opened with the Suns favored by 4½ points, moved to 8 by tip-off. The Suns won by nine (100-91). Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2945745&name=sheridan_chris
I dunno. Seems a reasonable enough place to discuss the issue, being a basketball forum. I don't know how far in the past it's practical to try to make tie-ins, but this is an ongoing issue that is far from resolved. Overall, the Donaghy thing seems a relevant topic for discussion.
how about this infamous loss? <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7eY8qGHU52E"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7eY8qGHU52E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
I'm surprised it took this long before someone started a thread asking what games the ref may have cost the Rockets (of course, he may have won us games also).
