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An Official Problem: Why natural and unnatural referee bias still dictates critical games

When thinking of the NBA playoffs, we picture the heroic moments: the spectacular play of icons, the stunning come from behind victories and buzzer beaters.

On the flip side, many also think of those who come up short year after year and the players that continually fail to reach expectations.

While the play on the court and the storylines that follow go on to live in immortality, the game also has an association with officials unlike that of any other sport — their whistles can be just as important as any last second shot.

This year, for example, an average of 48.