Donaghy letter alleges other refs altered games

[MapleLeaf]

From espn.com

Jeff Van Gundy ultimately backed off comments that a referee told him that officials had targeted Yao Ming in the Houston Rockets 2005 first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe he was right.

A letter sent to the sentencing court on behalf of convicted former referee Tim Donaghy outlines just such a plan. Donaghy's legal team is trying demonstrate his cooperation with a government investigation before he is sentenced on July 14 on felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games himself.

In other documents filed with the Brooklyn court, Donaghy's lawyers responded to the NBA's claim that he must pay $1 million in restitution to cover the cost of the league's private investigation.

The letter alleging referees altered games mentions only the year 2005, but the circumstances make it apparent that it is referring to the Rockets-Mavs series.

"Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's Owner complained to NBA officials," the letter says. "Team 3's Owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions."

Mavs owner Mark Cuban did in fact complain after his team lost the first two games of the series, and Dallas went on to beat Houston in seven games. Van Gundy said that a working referee had told him about the league's plan. Donaghy's letter claims that Supervisor Z contacted the coach. Van Gundy was ultimately fined $100,000.

Looking at box scores from the series, however, the only game in which Yao fouled out was in fact Game 1. He did average 4.4 fouls per game in the series.

The letter also details an incident in the 2002 playoffs in which Donaghy alleges that two referees, who were known as NBA "company men," wanted to extend a series to seven games. "Team 5" could have wrapped up the series in Game 6 but lost two players to ejection, lost that game and ultimately the series.

It is not clear which series this account refers to.

Donaghy also alleges that team executives conspired with the league to prevent star players from being called for too many fouls or being ejected. He claimed that league officials told referees that doing so would "hurt ticket sales and television ratings."

According to the letter, when an official did eject a star player in the first quarter of a game in 2000, he was privately reprimanded.

In addition to game-altering allegations, Donaghy's letter claims that many officialy carry on relationships with team exectutives, coaches and players that violate their NBA contracts.

"Tim described one referee's use of a team's practice facility to exercise and another's frequent tennis matches with a team's coach," the letter states.

The NBA has not commented on Donaghy's allegations. Donaghy's attorney and prosecutors also declined to comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday. Donaghy faces up to 33 months in prison.

 

[The Young One]

Wow this is really going to be interesting!

 

[.GR]

This isnt looking good for the NBA.

 

[The Young One]

This isnt looking good for the NBA.

I heard there was some fix going on with the kings and lakers series a couple of years ago also.

 

[.GR]

I just heard that the Lakers-Kings series in 2002 was the only game to go to 7 games so that is the only game he could be talking about

 

[The Young One]

Yea if i was u greg i would be pissed off to no end.

 

[.GR]

Oh beleive me, I am!

 

[The Young One]

The letter also details an incident in the 2002 playoffs in which Donaghy alleges that two referees, who were known as NBA "company men," wanted to extend a series to seven games. "Team 5" could have wrapped up the series in Game 6 but saw two players foul out, lost the game and ultimately the series.

Only one series went to seven games in the 2002 playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers against Sacramento Kings.

In Game 6, the Lakers made 34-of-40 free throws to 18-of-25 for the Kings. In the fourth quarter alone, Los Angeles hit 21-of-27 from the line while Sacramento made 7-of-9. After that game, a 106-102 Lakers win, Kings coach Rick Adelman expressed his frustration with the officiating.

"Our big guys get 20 fouls tonight and [Shaquille O'Neal] gets four? You tell me how the game went," Adelman said. "It's just the way it is. Obviously, they got the game called the way they wanted to get it called."

^ Thats the part about the kings and lakers series from a article i read
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3436401

 

[DJT]

LAME! Kings had it in the bag.

 

[allSPORT STARR]

And this is how my Rox lost vs Dallas in 2005. <Censored>ing lame <Censored>.

 

[.GR]

This has Stern written all over it. This guy needs to go! Hes a joke!

 

[MapleLeaf]

And this is how my Rox lost vs Dallas in 2005. <Censored>ing lame <Censored>.

40 point loss in game 7

 

[DJT]

I agree Stern needs to go, but I don't see it happening. He's clinging onto it with his life.

 

[yezzir]

Stern's interview before Game 3 in LA was so funny. He was struggling to remember his explanations for the allegations.

 

[jarrod2323]

40 point loss in game 7

would have never gone a game 7 with HOU up 2-0 and this:

Mavs owner Mark Cuban did in fact complain after his team lost the first two games of the series, and Dallas went on to beat Houston in seven games. Van Gundy said that a working referee had told him about the league's plan. Donaghy's letter claims that Supervisor Z contacted the coach.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Still, that series was back and forth both ways really. I think each team won on there homecourt on every game

And if you lose by 40 points in a Game 7 you honestly don't deserve to win a series in the biggest game of the year

 

[.GR]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7eY8qGHU52E

NBA =

 

[.snowy]

Watching that vid, no doubt that something there is not right.

 

[Whisper]

Yao Ming always gets weird/bogus calls, I remember once Dwight Howard actually took Yao down like a lil-mini body slam and Yao was the one called for the foul.

But damn, suspicious vid. I've never liked Stern, always thought the dude was a biscuit head and now there's this coming up. Get Stern outta here already, his little wussy touch fouls and Stalin like rule he's enforcing onto the league just ruins the damned game.

 

[yezzir]

Wow, I forgot how bad those calls were until I watched that video. Damn