Going into last night's game, the Nets lost 9 straight games, including the playoffs, to the Miami Heat. Shaquille O'Neal sat out the game with an injury and the game came down to the final moments. Trailing by as many as 10 points in the 4th quarter, the Nets managed to tied the game with 45 seconds left. From there, it was the officials that decided the game.
With 5.2 seconds left in the game, Dwyane Wade drew a foul and made one of his two foul shots, giving the Heat a one point lead. When Vince Carter, who had a game-high 32 points, tried to win the game on a drive to the hoop, there was plenty of contact, but a no-call from the refs. The no-call caused Nets coach Lawrence Frank to become so angry that his assistants had to hold him back.
After the game, Carter said of the contact on the play, "Oh, yeah. There was a lot of it. But that was my goal, to make them make a decision. I was trying to get there and be as aggressive as I can to make it an obvious call. I guess it wasn't obvious enough."
The Nets play the Heat again in late December. Perhaps the refs will be in the holiday spirit and be fair with the foul calls then.
Photo by AP via NY Post
