The Warriors' 115-109 win on Tuesday over the Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals was much more about the players than the referees.
That was a big positive for all parties after the hooplah regarding Game 1. James Harden went as far as saying he wants a "fair chance" from the officiating, it was revealed the Rockets believe the referees from the Western Conference Finals last year cost them a championship.
The NBA begs to differ. On Thursday, ESPN's Zach Lowe wrote the the league "disputes Houston's methodology" of complaining about the referees.
However, the NBA told ESPN that the Warriors have been given an advantage against the Rockets the last two years in the playoffs, Lowe reported.
"While there have been missed calls going both ways, the discrepancy has amounted to approximately three additional, definitive missed calls per game that have disadvantaged the Rockets," sources told Lowe. "That does not include gray area uncalled "potential infractions" the NBA flags upon enhanced review and deems inconclusive."
More controversy was created before Game 2 when it was announced Scott Foster, who has a storied history with both teams, would be a part of the officiating crew.
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"I didn't even notice the officiating," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the officiating crew after Game 2. "I don't think anybody did. I think that's the best compliment you can give them. They did a great job. This game was just about basketball."
This won't be the last time we hear about referees in this series, but we can all hope the chatter starts to get quieter.
