Insider Special: Power Outage

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NBA Power Outage:

The game on the line

By Terry Brown

Wednesday, January 22 Updated 1:00 PM EST

Ladies and gentlemen, Earl Strom has left the building.

On Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, NBA referees Bernie Fryer, Gary Zielinski and Tony Brothers ruled that No. 32 of the Utah Jazz did not foul No. 5 of the New Jersey Nets on a last-second three-point attempt that would have tied the game at 106 and sent it into a second overtime.

"If [No. 32] or [No. 12] were shooting that it would have been a foul. I've been here too long and I've seen that happen," said No. 5, who finished with 33 points. "It was more or less a physical game. That's what hurts. Two teams that played hard but the officials wanted to get involved. Just let both teams play -- let the teams dictate who wins, not the referees."

On Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, NBA official Monty McCutchen ruled that No. 34 of the Los Angeles Lakers flagrantly fouled No. 3 of the Houston Rockets as he drove to the basket with 1:11 left in overtime and then called a technical foul on the Laker head coach for arguing the call, giving the Rockets a 102-98 lead plus possession of the ball by the time the sequence concluded.

"The unfortunate thing is it had to be decided by them," No. 34 said after the game. "A whole bunch of people who paid a lot of money had to see a game that was decided by someone who doesn't make a lot of money. That's unfortunate."

The NBA decided not to fine No. 5 for his comments after the game and recently ruled that the foul committed by No. 34 was not flagrant and also erased the technical given to the coach.

The scores, however, remained 106-103 in favor of the Jazz and 108-104 in favor of the Rockets for the 35,638 fans who attended the games or the 3,326,000 fans who watched Friday's game on television in order to see Fryer, Zielinski, Brothers and McCutchen keep No's 3, 5, 12, 32 and 34 in line.

Here's how the rest of the league is doing according to the referees.

TOP REFEREE TEAMS

1. Los Angeles Clippers

Numbers: +195 (1,122 free throws to opponents 927)

Comment: It's not whether you win or lose, it's how many times you get on SportsCenter. And you don't make the highlight reel by pulling up for safe 15-footers when a full frontal assault on the rim will get you fame, fortune and maybe even a few free throws. It will also get you an unbalanced offense with unnecessary risks resulting in unforced turnovers. But we're talking about the Clippers, right? One example will suffice. Quentin Richardson, the shooting guard and sixthman for the Clippers, has 51 offensive rebounds (one less than starting center Michael Olowokandi despite playing in six less games) and 77 free throw attempts in only 646 minutes while shooting 35 percent from the field and 28 percent from long range with 1.3 turnovers to every 0.7 assists.

2.. Washington Wizards

Numbers: +176 (1,086 free throws to opponents 910)

Comment: Print the jacket cover now: The Stackhouse Rules. Michael Jordan may have taken 49 more shots than Stack has so far this season, but the second-most famous player on the team has still scored 80 more points than His Airness mainly because he's taken 283 free throws this season (sixth most in the NBA) to Jordan's 168. Well, that and the fact that Stackhouse is also shooting a career-best 87.6 percent (eighth best in the aforementioned league) when he gets there.

3. Indiana Pacers

Numbers: +172 (1,153 free throws to opponents 981)

Comment: At the end of his third season in the NBA, Reggie Miller had taken 627 free throws as a rail-thin, sweet-shooting two-guard. Thirteen years later, it should come as no surprise that he is still one of four starters who have already taken at least 100 free throws while his sixthman, Al Harrington, adds 140 of his own. Or that Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Brad Miller and Harrington are all on pace to set career marks in free throw attempts with an average of only 4.2 seasons under their belts.

4. New Jersey Nets

Numbers: +157 (1,104 free throws to opponents 947)

Comment: As a rookie substitute last season, Richard Jefferson took a very disciplined 56 three-pointers in 79 games while shooting 45 percent from the field and averaging 3.3 free throws per game. As starter this year, he has taken an even more disciplined 17 three pointers in 40 games while shooting 53 percent from the field and averaging 5.4 free throws per game. As an all-star in a future year, we may just dispense with the referees and let him call his own fouls.

5. Houston Rockets

Numbers: +152 (969 free throws to opponents 817)

Comment: Nobody gets more love from traditionally black and white striped men and one or two women than Stevie Franchise. Forget the fact that he's shot the fourth-most free throws in the entire league at 326 or that the next point guard on the list is Sam Cassell way down at No. 14. The amazing thing is that Steve Francis has gotten a free throw for every 2.08 shots he's taken. Compare that to the league's leading scorer, Tracy McGrady, who gets one every 2.6 shots or reigning MVP Tim Duncan who gets a free throw for every 2.3 shots. When he hung a career-high 44 on the Lakers last Friday night, he shot 17 free throws to his 21 field goal attempts.

WORST REFEREE TEAMS

25. Los Angeles Lakers

Numbers: -89 (988 free throws to opponents 1,077)

Comment: Either Shaquille O'Neal just pimp-slapped some red-headed stepchild of a center to the hardwood or his defender really did bite, claw, scratch, pull hair and crotch grab while his buddy hit him over the back with an ironing board. Or both. Either way, there is no possible way that Pau Gasol should average more free throws per field goal attempt than the most physical player in the history of the game.

26. Chicago Bulls

Numbers: -102 (1,043 free throws to opponents 1,145)

Comment: The problem isn't that big men Donyell Marshall, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Marcus Fizer aren't getting to the line enough. It's that in the process, they've committed 380 fouls, themselves, to the 327 free throws they've made. As a matter of fact, if Chandler and Curry averaged 48 minutes a game, they'd commit 12.9 fouls a contest between them, according to their recent numbers. Remember, the rules don't say you can't foul, just that after six of them each you can't play anymore.

27. Denver Nuggets

Numbers: -229 (856 free throws to opponents 1,085)

Comment: Look, you couldn't tell the difference between Nene Hilario and Mark Bryant if you bumped into them at the bottom of the standings, either. So don't expect the referees to distinguish between the foreign rookie and the 15-year veteran who's played on nine different teams and just happened to share the same condemned locker room at some point this season.

28. Miami Heat

Numbers: -299 (774 free throws to opponents 1,073)

Comment: A rookie (178 FTA) has been to the free throw line more than Eddie Jones (161) and Brian Grant (108) or any other Heat player on active roster today (no one else has more than 78), which says as much about the Miami roster as it does about Caron Butler. And stop laughing until I tell you that center Vladimir Stepania has acquired more personal fouls so far this season (100) than made buckets (92) or free throw attempts (78).

29. New York Knicks

Numbers: -299 (774 free throws to opponents 1,073)

Comment: Starting center Kurt Thomas (playing out of position) commits a foul every 7 minutes and 25 seconds on average while attempting a free throw every 16 minutes and 53 seconds. His backup, Michael Doleac (playing out of his league), commits a foul every 6 minutes and 53 seconds on average while shooting a free throw every 21 minutes and 38 seconds. Should I go on . . .