The Houston Rockets reportedly conducted a data-driven research to prove that the Golden State Warriors are being heavily favored by NBA officials, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Rockets have been making a data-driven case with the NBA for quite some time that these Super Team Warriors are getting a major officiating advantage in these heavy-hitter matchups. And of all the specific examples that have been discussed with league officials, none has left them more suspect of the system than the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
Per the report, the Rockets “secured the play-by-play officiating reports from each game from the NBA” after last year's defeat to the Warriors in the West finale. Houston went through every line and tallied all the missed calls, particularly in their seven-game series with Dubs. Interestingly, they found out that Golden State has been favored in six of the seven matches.
The Rockets, according to the sources, had a double-digit point deficit in six of the seven games (and a small edge in Game 2). In all, sources say, they were harmed to the tune of 93 points. Game Seven was the worst, the research showed, with the league-issued report indicating that they should have had 18 more points. More specifically, two of the 27 consecutive missed three-pointers that did them in were ruled to have been missed foul calls.
This report comes in the heels of the Rockets' Game 1 loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals. There were video clips that surfaced all over the internet wherein James Harden and Chris Paul were fouled by Golden State players on multiple occasions while taking a 3-point shot, but no whistles were blown.
Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni even said after the game that the officials admitted they missed some calls that should've gone to his team's way.
At this point, it is unclear as to how the league will respond to this research by the Rockets, but for now, they will have to figure out a way to steal Game 2 at the Oracle Arena on Tuesday.