When both teams took the floor in the second quarter, Jimmy Butler really did play tough.
With two aggressive defensive plays, he stole the ball from Kings players twice in a row.
In truth, both plays could have been called fouls.
But the referees let them go.
The NBA was a commercial league.
Everything had to serve the league's interests.
So the referees weren't just there to enforce the rules fairly.
They also had to keep the game entertaining and suspenseful.
When there was a big gap between the teams, their calls would lean slightly toward the weaker side.
Imagine if the stronger team had a lead of almost 30 points after just one quarter, and the refs kept calling the game fairly. The stronger team might pull even farther ahead, and the game would lose all suspense.
Naturally, the audience would lose interest in watching.
On the other hand, if the referees put in a little effort and helped narrow the gap by the end of the second quarter, keeping the game suspenseful, the audience would be much more eager to keep watching.
Besides, when a team was far ahead, they weren't likely to make a fuss over one or two calls that went against them.
That was the referees' usual guiding principle.
Because of those calls, Westbrook was still rattled when he returned to the floor. When a referee called a ticky-tack foul on him, he couldn't help but slam the ball down in anger.
That earned him a technical foul.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler made two mid-range shots for the Heat.
His teammates seemed to find their rhythm as well.
They hit several three-pointers in a row.
So after just four minutes of the second quarter, the Heat had cut the lead to 18 points.
Wang Yi signaled