Can't believe they called USF on that. Goulding is a great player but my goodness he flops.

Shit call cost Breakers. Not a unsportsmanlike.

I agree...Breakers copped the pineapple this afternoon.Unsportsmanlike please!!!

Well to be fair anon, the refs this year are reffing like they are unaccredited.

What is the criteria for unsportsmanlike? I understand something about not going for the ball, excessively rough and open lane to the hoop type scenario, but how does an off the ball push off qualify for uslf?

Dead ball foul in the final two minutes.

It was a dead ball for about a tenth of a second. Common sense should have prevailed.

It was a dead ball for about a tenth of a second. Common sense should have prevailed.

The NBA final 2 minute rule is only against the defensive team, not the offensive team. The 2 fouls would have cancelled each other out.

Thanks koberulz, I guess technically correct call then. You would have thought that rule was meant to apply in an in bounding the ball situation, not when two fouls happen almost simultaneously. Seems a bit ridiculous with the game on the line.

Yeah, I think that was one of the ones that changed last year. Forgot about the change.

The refs should be allowed to use common sense discretion in that situation. It was "dead ball" by literally a tenth of a second.

They are allowed to, and the dead ball rule didn't apply anyway. They just screwed NZ, completely contrary to the rules, because:
1. They felt like it.
2. They have no idea how to officiate basketball or what the rules are.
3. The league is set up for Melbourne to win.


I have no idea which of those three options is the least bad, but none of them are good.

What really annoys me is that all three refs knew a wrong call was made but didn't change it (could they have rescinded it?), yet they didn't try to make up for it by calling the fouls simultaneous. That's all it would have taken!

Also, who was the old bloke the referees consulted about the unsportsmanlike rule technicality? A ref briefed Vickerman on the decision, Vickerman then told the ref that he better take this time and get the call right, so the ref then went over to the score bench to talk to this guy. Who was he?

Is this the foul where Goulding had his arm around Webster and then flopped? But Majok had rushed the Breaker in the meantime?

What were the calls on that play?

Or Kickert holding TeRangi. As equally unsportsmanlike but not even mentioned because TeRangi didn't flop.

Flopping works!

Players do what they can to win. It is what we expect of them.

Ref's have to make the calls.

Have to hope players with a rep as a flopper will eventually cost their team in big games as ref's decide not to call fouls for players they have come to beleive have fooled them in the past.

and as Dr Phil says, How is that flopping working for you Chris... MMMMmmmmm Europe, nope too many issues and sent packing….. US, nope sent packing… Thinks he is king of the castle here in Aus but we are not fooled. Be prepared Chris for the biggest roasting in NBL history on your road run

They just need to bring in and enforce video reviews of any flops and it will gradually be removed from the game.

I agree Isaac, if they are able to spend two minutes and still stuff up their decisions, surely they can spend 30 seconds to review a possible flop call/charge call to get it...........errr, right?

I think Isaac maybe meant post game, not during it.

Even in that case, it may reduce the number of flops over time but it wouldn't change an outcome. Still, something needs to happen if we are to see more consistent calling, so yeah let's try it...

The refs were consistent.
When it gets close be prepared for a "Kirston Call" to assist Melbourne, it happened v Sixers and on other occasions.

It's best to keep on side with the NBL's owner

Yeah- video review will reduce it.

Question just becomes: What is an appropriate penalty?