[FR3SH like UgHH]

Updated: April 19, 2011, 11:56 AM ET
Danny Crawford to officiate Game 2
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By Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com
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DALLAS -- As far as Dallas conspiracy theories go, referee Danny Crawford working Mavericks playoff games ranks right up there with who shot J.R. Ewing.

Crawford is the lead official of the crew that will work Tuesday night's Game 2 in the Dallas Mavericks' first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. That will make many Mavs fans cringe, given the franchise's miserable track record in playoff games worked by Crawford.

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The Mavs have a 2-16 record in playoff games officiated by Crawford, including 16 losses in the last 17 games. Dallas is 48-41 in the rest of their playoff games during the ownership tenure of Mark Cuban, who has been fined millions of dollars in the last 11 years for publicly complaining about officiating.

"Not saying a word," Cuban wrote in an email when asked to comment on the Mavs' playoff history with Crawford.

An NBA spokesman did not immediately reply to an email requesting comment about whether the league has reviewed the Mavericks playoff games officiated by Crawford or considered not using him in a Dallas series due to a record that is at least a statistical outlier.

Dallas has a six-game playoff losing streak in games officiated by Crawford, which began with Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals, when the Miami Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Crawford also worked Game 6 of those Finals, when the Heat won their fourth consecutive game to claim the championship. The Heat had a 71-49 advantage in free throws in those two games.

The Mavs have been called for 2.3 fouls per game more than their opponents in playoff games officiated by Crawford, compared to a nearly even foul differential in their other playoff games since 2001. Dallas has averaged 6.8 fewer free throws than their opponents in playoff games Crawford has worked. Opponents have an edge in free throw differential in the rest of the Mavs' playoff games, but it's only by a little more than one attempt per game.

The assignment of Crawford to Game 2 of the Portland-Dallas series comes on the heels of Blazers coach Nate McMillan being fined $35,000 for publicly commenting on the officiating after the Mavs' 89-81 win Saturday night. McMillan questioned how the Mavs could have a 19-2 advantage in free throws during the fourth quarter of that game.

The Mavs won their first playoff game officiated by Crawford, a 94-91 victory over the Utah Jazz on April 28, 2001 to begin a comeback from an 0-2 hole to win that series. Their only win since then in a playoff game officiated by Crawford was in Game 5 of the 2006 Western Conference finals, when Dirk Nowitzki scored a franchise-playoff-record 50 points in a 117-101 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Crawford worked Game 3 of the Mavs' first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs last season. That 94-90 loss for Dallas featured two controversial plays that went against the Mavs in the fourth quarter: an offensive foul against Nowitzki with the score tied and nine minutes remaining and a clear pushoff that Spurs guard Tony Parker got away with against J.J. Barea before hitting a shot that put San Antonio up five points in the final minute.

The Mavs are 4-14 against the betting line in playoff games officiated by Crawford.

DAL Line DAL Pt Diff DAL Result vs Spread Round Year Date Team Site Opp Result DAL PTS OPP PTS
-5.5 3 L 1st Round 2001 4/28/2001 DAL Home UTA W 94 91
9 -18 L Conf Semis 2001 5/14/2001 DAL Road SAS L 87 105
3.5 -13 L Conf Semis 2002 5/13/2002 DAL Road SAC L 101 114
-2 -19 L 1st Round 2003 4/27/2003 DAL Road POR L 79 98
2 -11 L Conf Semis 2003 5/6/2003 DAL Home SAC L 113 124
5 -6 L Conf Semis 2003 5/15/2003 DAL Road SAC L 109 115
-1.5 -13 L Conf Finals 2003 5/23/2003 DAL Home SAS L 83 96
-6.5 -2 L 1st Round 2004 4/26/2004 DAL Home SAC L 92 94
-7 -2 L 1st Round 2005 4/25/2005 DAL Home HOU L 111 113
7 -25 L Conf Semis 2005 5/9/2005 DAL Road PHO L 102 127
4 -2 W Conf Semis 2006 5/7/2006 DAL Road SAS L 85 87
-6.5 16 W Conf Finals 2006 6/1/2006 DAL Home PHO W 117 101
5 -2 W NBA Finals 2006 6/13/2006 DAL Road MIA L 96 98
-6 -3 L NBA Finals 2006 6/20/2006 DAL Home MIA L 92 95
-3.5 -18 L 1st Round 2007 4/27/2007 DAL Road GSW L 91 109
7 -5 W 1st Round 2008 4/29/2008 DAL Road NOH L 94 99
6.5 -14 L Conf Semis 2009 5/3/2009 DAL Road DEN L 95 109
3.5 -4 L 1st Round 2010 4/23/2010 DAL Road SAS L 90 94

[Rawk-]

Good info i was already leaning blazer ML

[TheJames]

I guess Portland with the points is the play then!

[FR3SH like UgHH]

i guess u guys aren't following what im saying....

NOW THE EVERY1 KNOWS AND THIS IS WIDELY COVERED(ESPECIALLY BY ESPN) THIS CAN NO LONGER BE AN EDGE.....

i think we will be able to tell in the 1st half if the blazers will win....

i think u gotta take blazers 1st half...if they are in front, how could crawford possibly "**** dallas" at the end like in past games....

[aznknightt]

public is still on Mavs, so i'll stick with Blazers

[FR3SH like UgHH]

public has been winning dummy

BTW I STILL LOVE PORTLAND...

this just makes me sort of think a lil...

i was gonna go 10x on this(1,000$ for me)

but not sure now...mayb the refs just layoff cuz of the whole situation w/ mcmillan getting fined 30g's for complaining about the officiating last game....

so i guess the under would b a good play aka less fouls...more just letting them play..

[HoulihansTX]

Blazers ML

In Tim Donaghy's book he talks about how Crawford is proud of the Mavs playoff record, when he officiates.

Tim Donaghy: Danny Crawford is 'proud' of his record in Mavs games

[forzuto13]

Dallas breaks the curse tonight. They are gonna put it all on the line. I hope.

[Vulcan300]

not only is everyone on the forum on blazers.. with this article, leaning mavs. agreed tough bite.. nba stepped in on blazers cries and you get this.

[FR3SH like UgHH]

this sucks....

[Vulcan300]

another angle is mavs know this going into the game and you get higher production from mavs and possibly the win.

while everyone thinks their ML play is a lock now.

[FR3SH like UgHH]

ya but wouldn't less ref calls=under???

[ManBearPig]

Dam it's only the first round and look at all the fun we're having...

[Pauulzcappin]

FUkking crybaby bitch this McMillan guy is...

[HoulihansTX]

I dont understand how people could bet this game period.

A good bet is based on a predictable outcome.

You know ATL has owned Magic this year. You know Knicks are shit on the road w/o Billups.

This game screams rigged all over it. The refs will control the game, and players on the wrong side of the refs will not be able to affect the outcome.

[ufcmma36]

with this out there it would seem if portland wins the ref would be under quite a bit of scrutiny... Im sure he has lil influence now in light of this. Im taking the Mavs

[M.W.]

with this out there it would seem if portland wins the ref would be under quite a bit of scrutiny... Im sure he has lil influence now in light of this. Im taking the Mavs

This has been "out there" for years (since 2005), and Mavs keep losing when Dan Crawford does their games.

[FR3SH like UgHH]

yeah but it wasnt REPORTED BY THE LEADER IN SPORTS

[M.W.]

The local ESPN radio station certainly has discussed it at length. Last year they had Tim Donaghy on during the Spurs/Mavs series to discuss Dan Crawford's amazing record.

[Vulcan300]

I dont understand how people could bet this game period.

A good bet is based on a predictable outcome.

You know ATL has owned Magic this year. You know Knicks are shit on the road w/o Billups.

This game screams rigged all over it. The refs will control the game, and players on the wrong side of the refs will not be able to affect the outcome.

i'm not pounding money on it but it makes watching all the more interesting when moneys riding.

tips like this also make the bet, sucker or not.

[aireent777]

This will be a non factor. Crawford or no Crawford, Blazers will be blazing tonight.

[face]

McMillan is a crybaby, you get a foul called if you fuk with the players shooting hand, or block him, doesn't matter that they did it 19 times in 4th quarter and Mavs only did it 2 times. and everyone knows mavs don't foul enough b/c they are a little soft, Trail Blazer did it 19 times, watch the tape.

[og4667]

nice post, I think this plays into the Mavs favor tonight. Eyes will be on Crawford and NBA league office has probably already instructed Crawford to favor the Mavs based on his history with them.

I thought in Game 1 the MAvs were getting all the calls down the stretch. Dirk went to the line a bunch and Andre Miller and Aldridge were getting fouled on their end but no call. Dallas has been screwed so many times in the playoffs it may just be their turn to make it out of the first round.

[kaijunn]

now that the Danny Crawford story has gone public, Mavs will win tonight. that's just how the NBA and ESPN work. come up with some story before the game, and then later on the team/person will redeem themselves.

you will see Mark Cuban and Danny Crawford become good friends after tonight.

[head_strong]

now that the Danny Crawford story has gone public, Mavs will win tonight. that's just how the NBA and ESPN work. come up with some story before the game, and then later on the team/person will redeem themselves.

you will see Mark Cuban and Danny Crawford become good friends after tonight.

[skers11]

public has been winning dummy

public is actually 1-9

pacers were the first last night

[ufcmma36]

with this out there it would seem if portland wins the ref would be under quite a bit of scrutiny... Im sure he has lil influence now in light of this. Im taking the Mavs

This has been "out there" for years (since 2005), and Mavs keep losing when Dan Crawford does their games.

Like I said there is no way they would continue, especially when it was blown up all over... Mavs was the play. In fact hearing that just reassured my pick!