End of game

[Adam]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Didn't say "always." In a close game, though, it can certainly play a role.

Really? I must have misunderstood this post, then:

Originally Posted by bainsey

Slightly better, but I still think you're missing the point.

A team doesn't "lose on [a] foul." They win or lose on the score, which is always cumulative of the entire game, including the calls you make.

In a close game, something you may or may not have called in the first quarter affects the game's outcome every bit as something you may or may not have called in the last minute. In basketball, we often hear, "THAT decided the game." It's never just THAT. It's always a series of things. To pin an outcome on one play -- no matter how memorable it may be -- is really a lazy-minded outlook. In a close game, you can often find at least a dozen things that could have changed the outcome.

We're obviously talking about close games. For games that aren't close, this entire discussion is moot.