An internal audit of the officiating of Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors showed officials missed 17 calls for Houston and 11 for Golden State.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported the figures Tuesday, which are not made public but were commissioned by the Rockets or Warriors. Teams can request a 48-minute game audit of officiating, which is similar to the Last Two Minute Report the league makes publicly available.
The Rockets likely requested the full 48-minute report, as Amick previously reported Houston has been compiling regular data on officiating. Officials have given favorable treatment to Golden State, according to the Rockets' data, including during six of the seven games of their 2018 Western Conference Finals matchup.
Houston's festering frustration with officiating bubbled over throughout Game 1, leading to Chris Paul being ejected in the fourth quarter and head coach Mike D'Antoni drawing a technical foul. Paul was fined $35,000 for making contact with an official when he was ejected.
James Harden blasted the officiating crew following Game 1 for several missed calls.
"I mean, I just want a fair chance, man," Harden told reporters after the Rockets' 104-100 loss. "Call the game how it's supposed to be called, and that's it. And I'll live with the results."
The Rockets are far from the only team upset with officiating this postseason. Twelve players have already been ejected from the 2019 playoffs, according to ESPN.com's Royce Young, matching the most since the league began tracking ejections in 1991-92. There were only three ejections throughout the entire 2018 postseason.
It's impossible for any officiating crew to be 100 percent accurate. But the Rockets' vigilance in expressing their frustration is clearly symptomatic of what they feel is unfair treatment. The raw data, which the league provides, shows the missed calls favored Golden State yet again in Game 1.
The Game 2 officiating assignments include Scott Foster, with whom the Rockets have a contentious relationship. Houston's front office will assuredly be keeping close track of the officiating if Tuesday's game starts to go awry.
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