Donaghy:Rockets-Mavs in '05 was fixed

[KFDM COOP]

Donaghy:Rockets-Mavs in '05 was fixed

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Ex-ref: Rockets' '05 series was fixed

League calls Donaghy's letter a veiled ploy for lenient sentencing

By JONATHAN FEIGEN

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy charged Tuesday that NBA officials encouraged league referees to influence the results of playoff series, including the Rockets' 2005 series against Dallas.

Donaghy made the allegations in a letter filed with the court by his lawyer. He did not specify teams in the letter, but he described the situation of the series in which Dallas owner Mark Cuban complained of illegal screens set by Yao Ming.

Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty to felony charges of betting on games and taking cash payoffs from gamblers in exchange for providing privileged information. He faces up to 33 months in prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 14.

In the letter to federal Judge Carol Bagley Amon, Donaghy's legal team argued that Donaghy "provided key information regarding game manipulation by referees." Donaghy's lawyer, John Lauro, has suggested his client deserves credit for coming forward before he was charged to disclose behind-the-scenes misconduct in the NBA.

In a statement, the NBA described Donaghy's charges as inaccurate and designed to lighten his sentence.

"According to Mr. Donaghy, all of his allegations have previously been made to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney, and they are clearly being disclosed now as part of his desperate attempt to lighten the sentence that will be imposed for his criminal conduct," NBA executive vice president and general counsel Richard Buchanan said. "The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game and has fully cooperated with the government at every stage of its investigation."

Donaghy's counsel, however, described the scenario of the 2005 first-round series in which former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said he had been told by an NBA executive that officials would be watching for moving screens. Van Gundy was fined $100,000 for not revealing the source of his information.

"Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's owner complained to NBA officials," the letter said. "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. The referees followed the league's instructions and Team 3 came back from behind to win the series. The NBA benefited from this because it prolonged the series, resulting in more tickets sold and more televised games."

The letter also charged that officials manipulated a series in 2002 to go seven games. The Western Conference finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings included a controversial Game 6 won by the Lakers when they took a large number of free throws.

"The referees' favoring of Team 6," the letter charged, "led to that team's victory that night and Team 6 came back from behind to win the series."

The NBA described the information cited in the filing as previously investigated.

Speaking before the start of Tuesday night's NBA Finals Game 3 in Los Angeles, NBA commissioner David Stern called the allegations baseless.

"He's looking for anything that will somehow shorten the sentence, and it's not going to happen," Stern said.

[hj1]

when i heard that theyre were a couple of series that might have been fixed this was the first one i thought about..

then this image popped into my head..

[shorttexas1]

This will make T-Mac hot... His opportunity to get out of the first round was fixed... The team that beat them went on to the NBA champioship round!!!!  I know he is livid now!

[EAGLE07]

My days of being a die hard pro basketball fan ended at the conclusion of game 6 in 2002 between LA and Sacremento. I had no doubt that the game was fixed and I still have no doubt. Obviously, the NBA has to deny what Donaghy is saying. I, for one, firmly believe him.

[Interested Observer]

I'm quite certain that the NBA doesn't like sweeps because there's not enough money in them. I'm sure lots of people have been saying for years that these series have been fixed.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

last night's game was rigged in my opinion.

[KFDM COOP]

Yup!!!!!!!!!!

[KFDM COOP]

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[king]

Im not Suprised!!!!! This was the first series that came to my head when I heard about Donaghy. that series was so horrible T macs opportunity to get out of the first round may have been because of the Refs. They need to do serious time for this!! >