Warriors vs. Rockets: Leaked Document Shows Houston's Deep Grudge With Officials

The Houston Rockets’ grudge against the NBA officials, especially when they face the Golden State Warriors, goes much deeper than the missed calls in this season’s Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. They believe the reigning back-to-back champions have benefitted with calls going their way even last season when the two teams faced off in the West finals, which the Warriors won in Game 7.

The Rockets, according to ESPN, tabulated last year’s Game 7 against the Warriors and believe the officials robbed them of a championship. The team management is certain that the Houston franchise should have been the team facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.

The report claims that the tabulated document shows that the officials ignored 81 potential missed calls and non-calls and the Rockets believe the uncalled fouls cost them a total of 18.6 points during the game, which they lost 101-92. ESPN reports that the Game 7 audit was sent to the league only after the Warriors’ controversial Game 1 win on Sunday night, when James Harden openly demanded a “fair chance” from the officials after at least three confirmed non-calls.

"Referees likely changed the eventual NBA champion," says the memo, addressed to Byron Spruell, the NBA's president of league operations. "There can be no worse result for the NBA."

The NBA, however, do not agree with the Rockets methodology as they do not assess points to each missed or non-call with Mike Bass, an NBA spokesman, saying: “As we told the Rockets, we do not agree with their methodology.”

Meanwhile, Rockets point guard Chris Paul has avoided suspension for Game 2 after being ejected with 4.4 seconds remaining in the opening game for his second technical foul. He was fined $35,000 by the NBA for making contact with the official late in the game.

The league confirmed that his discipline, which was handed down by executive Kiki VanDeWeghe, was “for aggressively confronting and recklessly making contact with a game official,” said NBA official Josh Tiven, as quoted on the New York Post. The infringement occurred when Paul was protesting a loose ball foul on him by Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson.

“I don’t know yet. Nobody told me. He just called a tech. And I knew that was my second,” Paul said immediately after the game unsure if he had made contact with the official.

The Rockets will take on the Warriors in Game 2 on Tuesday night at the Oracle Arena and a lot of the focus is certainly going to be on the officials. Moreover, the reigning champions’ form at home during the playoffs has been sketchy having lost two home games against the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.