(Today’s mailbag focuses on the responses to the posting of Friday’s NBA officiating report that revealed the Heat benefited from five officiating mistakes at the end of Thursday night’s double-overtime victory in Charlotte, while no errors were cited in the Hornets’ favor.)
“True definition of Heat in 5.” — Doggy.
“Well. That that referee trio be decorated with a medal, and very important: That it be the referee trio of my Heat during the entire race to the ring.” — Braserito.
” Bout damn time some calls go our way.” — Cris.
“About time we had some go in our favor.” — Heath.
“Well they miss calls that are beneficial for us and cost of the game all the time.” — Da.
“Don’t care, still a Heat W.” — Brandon.
“Usually the other way around. I’ll take the W.” — Zak.
“Oh well. Don’t care. Too late. Can’t change it. We won.” — Jay.
“How is it even possible to be this incompetent?” — Sam.
“Ira don’t post stuff like this. Only post it when it is against us and we lose.” — Danny.
“Ira can you just keep this to yourself.” — Pusha.
“Why post this, but not point out Bridges clearly out of bounds, not called, allowed to score. The block taken by P.J. Tucker that was clearly a charge, reviewed, and still not overturned. Butler clearly was fouled on the 3-point attempt at the end of the first overtime. Which team do you work for?” — Jay.
A: Um, I don’t work for any team.
And, to be honest, I found the NBA’s Last Two Minute officiating report on Thursday’s Heat double-overtime victory in Charlotte so lopsided that I couldn’t help but point it out, if only to perhaps quiet the complaints about future nights when the whistle doesn’t go the Heat’s way (and there will be a few).
When you get down to it, it is remarkable that for a report that covers 12 minutes of game time, the only five officiating errors cited all went in favor of the Heat. You just don’t see that.
Now, I believe the postgame chatter about Kyle Lowry’s 3-pointer coming with his foot on the line was overstated. There was plenty of time left for the game to go in other directions if the Heat, in the moment, only were awarded two points.
And, yes, there were plenty of moments outside of the scope of the report that could have been questioned from a Heat perspective, including the lack of a continuation call on a Butler drive when he was fouled.
Considering how the Heat played the first three quarters, considering how the Heat shot, and considering some of the egregious errors made along the way, the Heat were fortunate to come out with the W.
Who knows, maybe this leads to the inspiration for the Heat’s referee-inspired Vice jerseys next season.
