Calling all waaaaaahmbulance units, report to Warriors vs. Rockets IMMEDIATELY

Game 1 of the hotly anticipated Warriors vs. Rockets series ended Sunday afternoon in a narrow Golden State win. The unofficial Game 2 began in earnest immediately afterward, with that unofficial Game 2 being not basketball but a strong attempt to work the referees and the league before the actual Game 2.

James Harden declared in his postgame interview that he just wants to be called fairly. (Hilarious.) The Warriors were mad Stephen Curry picked up five fouls playing the same kind of defense the Rockets do. (Oh, really?) Andre Iguodala’s brother, a referee working his way up the ladder, says Curry gets fouled on 80 percent of his possessions. (Is that right?)

Here’s the problem with the core officiating concern regarding leg kick-outs and close-outs on three-pointers: there is no real solution because the rule, as explained by head ref Joe Borgia after the game, is totally subjective. Refs have to call it based on whether there would be contact in a normal circumstance — i.e. a circumstance in which the shooter didn’t kick his legs out, i.e. a circumstance that is actually abnormal now. There no longer is any normal circumstance, definitely not in this series with these shooters looking for free throws. So calling it strictly (you can’t close out on shooters, basically) is as subjective as calling it lightly (defenders can careen into shooters, basically). It’s a mess!

And it’ll happen every time given the stakes and the incentive to bend the rules to advantage one team or the other. It’s just a part of sport now, at every level and on every field. On this one, the world just happens to be watching and the protagonists have armies of fans behind them, ready to wave their flags for them.

On my unofficial scorebard, the Rockets have taken the lead in Game 2 thanks to highlighting a couple of egregious examples. They risk overplaying their hand, though. Harden talking about officiating fairness after molding his game to benefit specifically from his ability to draw whistles — we’re tracking off toward the theatre of the absurd, mate. Careful now.

Celtics 112, Bucks 90
Boston leads series 1-0

Rockets 100, Warriors 104
Golden State leads series 1-0

Sixers at Raptors, 8 ET, TNT
Toronto leads series 1-0

Blazers at Nuggets, 10:30 ET, TNT
Series tied 0-0

The night is dark is full of spoilers. But there will be no Game of Thrones spoilers here in GMIB, even though there is lots of good NBA-adjacent reaction to the latest episode. You’re safe here.

The Celtics obliterated the Bucks in Game 1 of that series, with Al Horford looking something like Giannis Antetokounmpo’s kryptonite. Milwaukee had multiple problems, really: no answer for Boston’s Kyrie-Horford pick-and-pop, an apparent lack of a gameplan to spring Giannis free of his captor, much other non-Giannis action, a defense that looked a touch slow to keep up with a smart passing team. Milwaukee was incredible this season and should bounce back. But that Game 1 was alarming on multiple levels.

In related news, some very good photos of a very good Jaylen Brown dunk on Giannis.

In appreciation of Warriors-Rockets. How the end of Game 1 is a perfect microcosm for the rivalry.

Six reasons the Spurs didn’t foul at the end of Game 7.

Sam Amick in The Athletic on the Rockets ... getting the full-48 officiating reports from last spring’s playoff series from someone inside the Warriors or someone inside the league office? And that report showing the refs favored the Warriors in that series, but the Rockets not posting that thing to Scribd or something?! This is such a dopamine hit.

Seerat Sohi on the case Kawhi Leonard is the best player in the world.

And finally: LeBron James apparently trusts the process in LA. Good luck, pal.

Be excellent to each other.