The first week of the NBA playoffs has given us gems like Celtics/Nets Game 1 (remembered as the day Kyrie finally snapped) and Thursday night’s Grizzlies/T-Wolves epic in Minnesota, which saw Memphis erase a 26-point deficit for the third-largest comeback in postseason history. It’s been a blast, though the steep rise in whistles has been a source of frustration, disrupting the game’s flow while landing stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaren Jackson on their respective benches, mired in constant foul trouble. This unfortunate trend has caught the attention of former Grizzlies executive John Hollinger, who notes that fouls are up 21 percent from the regular season, an increase of roughly eight per game.
“The playoffs thus far have been a whistle-fest,” quipped Hollinger in a column for The Athletic. “Basically, every playoff game now feels like a regular-season game from the James Harden-era Rockets.”
Hollinger cites a variety of factors on why that might be. As the quality of play improves, offenses tend to be more efficient, leading to extra possessions and thus, more foul opportunities. With the stakes heightened, players ratchet up their intensity in the playoffs, manifesting in a chippier, more physical brand of basketball than we’re accustomed to during the regular season. The NBA rewards its top referees with coveted playoff assignments, bringing to light calls that may have gone unnoticed in December or January.
Still, that doesn’t account for what we’ve observed this postseason, with fouls being called at a breakneck pace. Eagle-eyed officials in Memphis handed out 20 first-quarter fouls in Game 2, with Dallas and Utah combining for 60 in Thursday night’s Game 3.
The postseason is still just 20 games old and we’ve seen some truly spectacular performances over that span. But no one is tuning in to see Kevin Durant shoot 18-of-20 from the charity stripe. While fans lament what has been a foul-plagued opening week, wishing the zebras would stop turning every game into a glorified free-throw contest, Hollinger suspects there may be an element of luck involved. Though fouling less has historically equated to winning, that wasn’t the case this season with the Timberwolves, Heat and Warriors—second, fourth and fifth respectively in fouls committed—all qualifying for the postseason.
Maybe things will even out as teams and players adjust to how games are being officiated, but don’t expect the whistle-palooza to end anytime soon.
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