[blanco]

While I'm playing the knicks for 1u tonight as part of an auto-play, after thinking more about this game I don't necessarily love them in this spot. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but we all know how the NBA works. It is no secret that Stern would love the Lakers in the championship every year. The Lakers starting 9-12 is really bad for his business. The Lakers are in need of something that would change the momentum of this season for them and Stern would happily assist in accomplishing this in any way possible. What better time than @ NY on national TV after a couple of ugly losses. A win here, or at least a close finish, would force the TNT boys and ESPN analysts to reconsider the Lakers' potential to turn this season around and wouldn't the NBA love that.

I know we're all going to play this game because how can we not have a little action on it, but be careful on either side boys. I don't recommend going very big either way. I would not be surprised if the Lakers can swing one here, although I wouldn't bet on it myself.

[Johnnythunder]

The refs in their pockets is the only way the Lakers can compete with the Knicks considering they have the worst PG situation in the NBA and a listless Howard. Knicks should pull away and win by 10+.

[as99]

The games aren't rigged. Refs aren't told by the league to favor a team. The world would find out.

[PAULYPOKER]

The games aren't rigged. Refs aren't told by the league to favor a team. The world would find out.

Oh ya? you sure as Hell did not find out.................

[blanco]

you're right because that hasn't already happened or anything.

http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts...nt-you-to-read

[RetardStrength]

The games aren't rigged. Refs aren't told by the league to favor a team. The world would find out.

This is the funniest joke I've read in a while

[Bblanse]

Games aren't rigged? Hmmm.......ok i heard you

[as99]

Post was bit of a joke but....

Posting a link telling me that refs have fun, refs favor stars, make up calls and have personal vendettas against players that mouth them off! Tell me something I don't know. Where's the proof, the guy was Hispanic so he wanted the Hispanic area to win, that's the best in the book? The NBA suggest missed calls - it can favor team x or y doesn't prove anything.

The betting scandal was real. Yes those games were fixed but the funny thing is that they still failed to win all their games. Too many variables in a game to set a fix.

Believe it or not the NBA doesn't interfere every damn night like people believe.

Funny sh*t like people talking about how Bobcats game - the fix was in.... every night. You lost because you made the wrong pick. Or the entire sequence where the point total lost because the players + coaches + refs + league all in on a point shave for a meaningless game. If it was that important why wait until the last play? Like the player ran up the court and a hit a 3 for no reason! What in the world guarantees he hits the 3?

[blanco]

I just grabbed the first link off google about the book but he talks in there plenty about stern calling in one team to win and having his favorite minions to get the job done. regardless, the refs know what stern wants and what's good for the NBA without him having to call in each game. keep games close when possible, make the stars look good, give teams more calls in front of their home crowd, keep the big market teams in the running, ect ect. just saying I wouldn't be surprised if the refs make a conscious effort to keep the knicks from pulling away too much here

[Goat Milk]

Games are very rarely rigged in the NBA and by that I mean less than 2%

Anyone that believes otherwise is a clown like Pauly

Lakers wouldn't be 9-13 at this point if the league was rigged. Spurs wouldn't be winning every game. Lakers wouldn't have gotten swept by Dallas two years ago in the playoffs. Miami would have won game 6 in 2011 to force game 7. Jordan wouldn't have beat Utah twice at a time when the public was straight cleaning up on the Bulls.

Lebron wouldn't have gotten swept in an nba finals series to produce ultra low rating.

[HardCore]

well said my man well said

[RetardStrength]

Games aren't rigged in the NBA... They are "influenced"

Refs cannot single-handedly control an outcome... You'd be silly to think so. However, they can effect momentum, pscyhe of certain players (by way of calls or non-calls), and other factors. You can't watch an NBA game and not think, "WTF was that" at least 10 times? (in terms of calls/non calls)

[Snowball]

Nah, this Knick team is on the rise.. ain't no market like the Big Apple !

[blanco]

I agree with both goat and retard. very hard to actually rig a game, and most regularly season games are clean (contrary to the posters who lose their under bet on that last free throw...hey maybe the lines are just sharp!), but it is very easy to influence a game with momentum, foul trouble, ect.

ESPN and TNT games are known for their unusually high frequency of down to the wire finishes, which can largely be attributable to it usually being 2 good teams playing each other...but no doubt the refs are going to err on the side of making it a good game if they have discretion on a call.

This game should be interesting either way. Wouldn't be surprised if the lakers get more calls than they should on NYs home floor

[RetardStrength]

Unlike most of my NBA watching experience, I'll likely view a good chunk of this game. I want to see if the things we are discussing here really come to fruition...

I'm sorry, but in a "Zero Influence" situation, the Knicks roll this Lakers team right now...

[PAULYPOKER]

Ref Influence and certain willing participating players are exactly how certain wanted outcomes are achieved..................

C'mon man!

[PickyBob]

I agree with both goat and retard. very hard to actually rig a game, and most regularly season games are clean (contrary to the posters who lose their under bet on that last free throw...hey maybe the lines are just sharp!), but it is very easy to influence a game with momentum, foul trouble, ect.

ESPN and TNT games are known for their unusually high frequency of down to the wire finishes, which can largely be attributable to it usually being 2 good teams playing each other...but no doubt the refs are going to err on the side of making it a good game if they have discretion on a call.

This game should be interesting either way. Wouldn't be surprised if the lakers get more calls than they should on NYs home floor

You are the most inconsistent guy on these boards. Someone says something and no matter what you agree. You need to be more affirmative with what you post. Your initial post stated that you wouldn't be surprised if the refs do something to influence this game. Once Goat chimes in, you change your stance and say that it's rare that regular season games are rigged. Just stop it already....

[blanco]

You are the most inconsistent guy on these boards. Someone says something and no matter what you agree. You need to be more affirmative with what you post. Your initial post stated that you wouldn't be surprised if the refs do something to influence this game. Once Goat chimes in, you change your stance and say that it's rare that regular season games are rigged. Just stop it already....

are you serious? I'm clearly making a distinction here between outright riggery and having an influence. People like to think things are black and white in this world because it makes it easier to understand. They like to think it's either 100% yes or 100% no. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Would the NBA blatantly rig a regular season game just to get the Lakers to 10-12? No. Would they lean on giving the Lakers calls that could go either way to make it 10-20% more likely they keep it close/win? Absolutely. The less educated speak in absolute terms my brotha. Goat and Retard both make valid points and they distinctly differentiate "rig" vs "influence"