Isnt it supposed to be an entertaining league? This is not entertaining, i dont love watching 6 minutes of free throws...

Even if a guy shoots 50% from the line, whats the difference between that and a team shooting 50% from the field... Over a long period like that it was obviously going to even out. Terrible strategy from an immature team

Protips from BALLER#3.

Scott Brooks had to do something to stop the best SG in the league - James Harden

We have been over this before folks...

If the officials see it as deliberate and flagrant they can call it and after he shoots his frees they get the ball back!

If they disguise it well enough, obviously they will get away with it, but the officials would be well and truly aware of this by now, so what is the NBA saying to them, to the fans and to the players??

There is an answer and it lies with the officiating IMO...

Baller#3. I'll bite. There is a huge difference. By fouling the guy lets say he ends up shooting 50% the same percentage as the rest of the team. By not fouling him, a big is going to score 70 - 90 % from a few feet from the ring. I might be a bit odd but I would much rather a team shoot 50% against me than 70, 80 or 90%. I agree, it makes it a sh&t spectacle but greatly increases your chances of winning!!

I'm more disappointed with them playing the game while i'm at work to be honest. now if you could do something about that...!!!

@Anonymous, thanks for the post.

The NBA have their own rule book do they, gosh I thought basketball was an international game, silly me, I had no idea...?

I'll try to google that NBA rule book and have a go at finding the applicable clause.

Much appreciated, chief (sorry that would be indian, apparently I am the chief)!!

So, thanks to Anonymous I had a look online for something that may explain the ruling and found this under NBA Rules:

Section IV--Flagrant Foul

a. If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpreted to be unnecessary, a flagrant foul--penalty (1) will be assessed.

A personal foul is charged to the offender and a team foul is charged to the team.

PENALTY: (1) Two free throws shall be attempted and the ball awarded to the offended team on either side of the court at the free throw line extended.

(2) If the offended player is injured and unable to attempt his free throws, the opposing coach will select any player from the bench to attempt the free throws.

(3) This substitute may not be replaced until the ball is legally touched by a player on the court. (EXCEPTION: Rule 3--Section V--e.)

(4) The injured player may not return to the game.

(5) A player will be ejected if he commits two flagrant fouls in the same game.

b. If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpret-ed to be unnecessary and excessive, a flagrant foul--penalty

(2) will be assessed. A personal foul is charged to the offender and a team foul is charged to the team.

PENALTY: (1) Two free throws shall be attempted and the ball awarded to the offended team on either side of the court at the free throw line extended.

(2) If the offended player is injured and unable to attempt his free throws, his coach will select a substitute and any player from the team is eligible to attempt the free throws.

(3) This substitute may not be replaced until the ball is legally touched by a player on the court.

EXCEPTION: Rule 3--Section V--e.

(4) The injured player may return to the game at any time after the free throws are attempted.

(5) This is an unsports-manlike act and the offender is ejected.

c. A flagrant foul may be assessed whether the ball is dead or alive.

Seems quite clear to me...

Oh, just for fun thought I'd check the official FIBA Rules while I was at it:-

Art. 36 Unsportsmanlike foul
36.1 Definition
36.1.1 An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact foul which, in the judgement of an official, is not a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball within the spirit and intent of the rules.

36.1.2 The official must interpret the unsportsmanlike fouls consistently throughout the game and to judge only the action.

36.1.3 To judge whether a foul is unsportsmanlike, the officials should apply the following principles:
• If a player is making no effort to play the ball and contact occurs, it is an unsportsmanlike foul.
• If a player, in an effort to play the ball, causes excessive contact (hard foul), it is an unsportsmanlike foul.
• If a defensive player causes contact with an opponent from behind or laterally in an attempt to stop a fast break and there is no opponent between the offensive player and the opponents' basket, it is an unsportsmanlike foul.
• If a player commits a foul while making a legitimate effort to play the ball (normal play), it is not an unsportsmanlike foul.

36.2 Penalty

36.2.1 An unsportsmanlike foul shall be charged against the offender.

36.2.2 Free throw(s) shall be awarded to the player who was fouled, followed by:
• A throw-in at the centre line extended, opposite the scorer’s table.
• A jump ball in the centre circle to begin the first period.
The number of free throws shall be awarded as follows:
• If the foul is committed on a player not in the act of shooting: two (2) free throws.
• If the foul is committed on a player in the act of shooting: the goal, if made, shall count and, in addition, one (1) free throw.
• If the foul is committed on a player in the act of shooting and the goal is not made: two (2) or three (3) free throws.

36.2.3 A player shall be disqualified when he is charged with two (2) unsportsmanlike fouls.

36.2.4 If a player is disqualified under Art.

36.2.3, that unsportsmanlike foul shall be the only foul to be penalised and no additional penalty for the disqualification shall be administered.

So, once again it seems pretty clear that if the game is officiated correctly (anywhere), we have no problems with this kind of defensive play, do we...?

Oi prisoner, if he was getting it right next to ring but they were just intentionally fouling him while he was walking up the court, still even in the back court

Man I was watching that game and it really was ridiculous to watch. From about 7 minutes out.

What they did might have been 'legal', up to the two minute mark after which they get one shot and the ball back, plus they can pick any player to shoot the foul shot, but it did nothing for the game.

This is a league where spectators/the spectacle is very important (hence no zone rule, etc) so I wouldn't be surprised to see the NBA changing the hack'a'shaq, hack'a'howard, hack'a'asik, rule change...

to me, that is a way of saying, we are searching for answers...

what is even stupid-er is the crap the Knicks players were talking before game 5 today! How does their coach not tell them to STFU!?

If Asik keeps shooting at over 70% like he did today that will certainly stop the practice faster than anything else. McHale would be pretty happy getting 7 points from every 5 trips down the court and it even gives Harden & Parsons a minutes rest each time!

So pissed off at Durant. Put a bet on him to score over 36 points in the game. Of course he doesn't score a single point in the final quarter...

In all seriousness, who else thinks he should have imposed his will more in the last quarter? It was as though he didn't even care about my bet at all.

Good strategy; the guy is a professional basketball player, at a minimum he should be able to hit 70%. He did today but history shows he won't keep that up. When he doesn't his coach has to make a decision as to whether to keep him in the game or not, exactly what you want. I don't see why opposition coaches get so riled up about this

I find entertainment from Hack-a-crap freethrow shooter, particularly when Spurs did it to DeAndre Jordan. Players have to hit their free throws!

Bear: So I guess all the referees are continuing to make a mistake on these calls?

Maybe you should run a rules seminar for the referees in the NBA. Obviously they are not up to scratch!

Thanks for the offer brother, but I'm good...

It is a matter of interpretation, as it has always been and probably will be.

Anyone can make a case or arguement that 'unecessary contact on or off the ball' can be called as flagrant or unsportsmanlike...

Just seems that the officiating is subjective on this topic, and this is my opinion, right or wrong I don't really care what others think as everyone has their own opinion, don't they?

By the way, you see that call made outside the key don't you? Seems like different interpretations of the same rule at different points on the court, IMO!

All I am saying is that the NBA have to decide if they want this to continue or not, I think the rule is there, it is their interpretation of it and how it is officiated...

Stay Cool, Man!!

Royce Webb:

The players were following orders: Stop the game because we don't like how it's going; don't compete on the floor because you're not good enough to win this playoff home game against the No. 8 seed; do not try for steals and blocks and stops; let's keep our own crowd out of the game; let's not get out and run and try to come back with the second-best player in the world doing what he does best; let's not play basketball for a while because the Rockets are better at basketball on this night.