detmer4prez wrote:
The home team is always going to get a few more calls. That is just the way it is. The Jazz get just as many calls at home and the Laker fans will complain about that.
Lets please not bring up the free throw disparity again to try to prove how uneven officiating is. These two teams are totally different. The Lakers are a finesse team and the Jazz are known as the most physical team in the league. The Jazz lead the league in fouls this year and it wasn't because they always get screwed, it is because they are very physical.
I was intrigued by your comment about the foul advantage going both ways, depending on who is the home team. It is something that I had always assumed, but I decided to check it out just to make sure. What I found surprised me (but only a little, I was sort of expecting it):
The Lakers shot 37 or more FTs in every game except Game 4 (25). In contrast, the Jazz never shot more than 30 FTs except Game 4 (45).
When the Lakers had home court, they averaged 19 more FTs per game than the Jazz.
When the Jazz had home court, they averaged only 5.5 more FTs per game than the Lakers (Game 3 they actually shot 9 less FTs than the Lakers, but in Game 4 they shot 20 more).
Do you really think that the Lakers' play merits 19 more FTs per home game, when the Jazz can only muster 5.5 out of the refs?