Fighting the whistles

Controversial calls at end of Game 3 are hot topic

Wally Szczerbiak and Rick Fox both had problems with the officiating in Game 3. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Rod Strickland said it was the worst refereeing he had ever witnessed in a big game. Kobe Bryant called it "pretty bad", while Rick Fox termed it "terrible."

The officiating in Game 3 of the Lakers-Timberwolves series remained a hot topic Friday, with NBA commissioner David Stern even offering an opinion on a questionable late foul call against Wally Szczerbiak.

"Guess what -- we miss calls," Stern said.

The Minnesota Timberwolves took a 2-1 lead by beating the three-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 114-110 in overtime Thursday night in what had to be the most significant win in their 14-year history.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday at Staples Center, and the Lakers find themselves in unfamiliar territory -- trailing in a first-round playoff series.

"We know that this game is a need game for us," coach Phil Jackson said.

The Lakers have won 12 straight playoff series since Jackson became their coach in 1999, and Jackson-coached teams in Los Angeles and Chicago have won 24 consecutive playoff series.

With those streaks close to being in jeopardy, Jackson focused on a Lakers' offense that shot a shade under 40 percent in Game 3.

The Timberwolves took their 2-1 lead by overcoming several questionable calls, a last-gasp Lakers rally to send the game into overtime and the loss of star Kevin Garnett in the first 12 seconds of the extra period.

"I got to bed this morning about 6:30," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said about five hours later following Friday's practice at Loyola Marymount. "It was very difficult to sleep. I'm sure it was the same for a lot of the players.

"It was a very intense game. When you lose it seven times and win it eight times, there's a lot of emotion."

Kobe Bryant, who scored five points in a 5 1/2-second span to tie the game at 101 with 12.1 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, said the Lakers "played terrible" and deserved to lose.

"We're down 2-1 -- the series is far from over," Bryant said at the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo. "It was a big win -- I'm sure it was a confidence-booster for them."

But the Timberwolves were a confident bunch to begin with -- especially after their 119-91 victory in Game 2 at the Target Center.

"Nothing was going to take this game away from us," said Troy Hudson, who scored 27 points, including two free throws with 2.1 seconds left in overtime to clinch the victory. "We had guys come off the bench, we didn't miss a step."

The Timberwolves needed bench help because Rasho Nesterovic fouled out at the end of the fourth quarter and Garnett did the same at the beginning of overtime.

Both calls were suspect.

"As coaches and players, we've got to complain," Saunders said. "It's a difficult game to referee, especially at the level you're at. It's not a job I'd want to have.

Several players on both sides criticized the officiating.

"We had to beat 15 people last night," said 15-year veteran Strickland, who said he couldn't remember a big game called so poorly.

"It was pretty bad," Bryant said.

"From both ends, it was terrible," Fox said. "It was not a pretty game. We benefited. At times they benefited."

Szczerbiak had at least two questionable calls go against him -- one for a foul on Bryant with 17.7 seconds left when Bryant made a 3-pointer. Bryant made the free throw to complete a four-point play.

"The team that played better last night won -- that's the only positive," he said.

Szczerbiak also was called for a foul on rookie Jannero Pargo with 47.7 seconds left in overtime. Pargo made two free throws to give Los Angeles a 108-107 lead, but the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 7-2 after that.

"I didn't touch the guy," Szczerbiak said.

Stern, at a meeting of Associated Press Sports Editors, said he caught the last 20 minutes of the game on TV and spoke about the foul of Pargo.

"I'd like to see the other angles, but from the angles that I saw, going up against the backboard, I didn't see Szczerbiak touch him," Stern said.

Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, a former star with the Boston Celtics and now the Timberwolves' vice president of basketball operation, smiled when asked about the officiating.

"It's a losing battle when you're dealing with officials," he said. "The whistle's mightier than the mouth, so I'm not saying anything."

 

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