Raptors Game Oddities

The speculations about games affected and points shaved as well as bad calls made will probably be ongoing until the NBA presents more definitive evidence to the general public. MSNBC has a recent story presenting two "oddities" involving the final score in Toronto Raptors games, months apart. Alleged crooked ref Tim Donaghy was involved in both contests.

From MSNBC.com:

"There were strange circumstances regarding two Toronto Raptors games officiated by Tim Donaghy, the former referee who allegedly bet on NBA games for the past two seasons, the Toronto Sun reported.

On Nov. 24, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Raptors 97-93 to cover the three-point spread. However, a two-point basket by the Raptors' T.J. Ford was not recorded. Had it been, the final score would have been 97-95 and the Hawks thus would not have covered the spread.

On Jan. 15, the Philadelphia 76ers were favoured to beat the Raptors. However, according to the New York Times, wagering on the Raptors was so heavy that Toronto eventually became a one-point favorite by game time. The Raptors went on to win 104-86.

After the Raptors-Hawks game, Toronto assistant coach Jay Triano told the scorer's table that the final score was incorrect, but the situation didn't get resolved, the Sun reported."