Controversy arrives with Golden State Warriors Game 1 win over Houston
By Tony Pesta
Controversy and the Golden State Warriors go hand-in-hand at this point. The Dubs Game 1 victory over the Houston Rockets was no exception.
The Golden State Warriors defended their home court against the Houston Rockets in a 104-100 victory in Game 1. This now marks three consecutive postseason wins over the Rockets and gives the Warriors a 1-0 series lead.
Of course, the Warriors haven’t won these games without a fair share of controversy. While there is no question the Dubs are the more talented team, a number of decisions by the officials are under heavy scrutiny.
Depending on which fan base you talk to, the referee’s are swaying this series one way or the other. Houston fans are beyond frustrated and feel as if they are being robbed of many calls. In contrast, the Warriors fans believe that the referees are calling it evenly.
The root of the issue here is James Harden. It’s no secret that one of Harden’s signature skills is creating contact and forcing his way to the free throw line. Whether you like it or not, this tactic works in the regular season as Harden has led the league in free throws three seasons in a row.
However, the playoffs are an entirely different beast. I’m not sure why, but the same calls that Harden and the Rockets were receiving in the regular season are not being called in the playoffs. I am referring specifically to the step back 3-pointers that Harden frequently attempts.
This is very much a gray area in the NBA rule book. It is nearly impossible to tell if a player is naturally swaying forward on a jump shot and it’s extremely difficult to judge if the defender is giving proper space for the shooter to land.
In the regular season, the officials seemed to give Harden the benefit of the doubt and reward him with free throws. Now, Harden is doing the same moves but is not being bailed out by a foul call.
As previously stated, these plays are extremely controversial and completely objective. Until the NBA sets an official rule in stone and becomes consistent with the way they officiate the game, this will continue to be a problem. For now, all the Dubs can continue to do is play their game and tune out the outside noise.