The Miami Heat don't deny that they're a physical team.
They acknowledge that coach Pat Riley's philosophy is to bump and grind and never let an opponent experience a moment's rest.But they don't feel they're four times more physical than the Utah Jazz.
And that being the case, they had a hard time understanding how they were awarded just six free throws in Tuesday's 84-81 loss to the Jazz, while Utah attempted 25 foul shots. Miami didn't shoot a single free throw in the second half. The six free throws were an all-time Heat franchise low.
Asked to explain that discrepancy, Heat swingman Dan Majerle said, "You can't. You look at (the boxscore), and that's the glaring thing."
Heat center Alonzo Mourning, who has had his problems with referees in the past, didn't want to talk about the officiating.
"I'm not making any comments about the referees at all," he said, smiling broadly. "Don't ask me about the referees, because it's a no-win situation. You all mention the referees. You all get the fine."
Moments later, Mourning couldn't resist and said of the free-throw differential, "It was obvious. I thought a blind man could see it."
What the three sighted officials saw, however, was 24 fouls committed by Miami, 14 by Utah. Those are low totals for the average NBA team, more so for a game involving the Heat, a rugged bunch who hold and grab and push on every defensive stand.
"I thought we could have shot a helluva lot more free throws," said Jazz center Greg Foster.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan didn't have much to say about the free-throw situation, but he was grateful to the Heat for coming into the Delta Center and waking his team up from the funk that resulted in two disappointing road losses.
"I don't have a problem with the way that team plays the game," Sloan said. "To me it's refreshing. I think you find out who can compete in this situation."
Sloan grinned and said, pointing to his head, "They find out if you're going to melt up here."
The Jazz didn't melt, though the opportunity presented itself when Tim Hardaway's 3-pointer with 59 seconds left put the Heat up by two. Hardaway got open for that shot when Mourning mowed down Utah's John Stockton with a brutal moving screen.
The Heat felt they had the game won then, but Karl Malone hit a pair of free throws, the Jazz forced Miami into a 24-second clock violation, and Bryon Russell drilled the game-winning three. That shot surprised Miami.
"He wasn't the guy we expected to shoot it," Mourning admitted.
"We gave this one away," said Hardaway. "They're a good team and everything, but we had them on the ropes."
Sloan conceded that fatigue may have been the reason his team wilted in the fourth quarters of its previous two games, but he pointed out that everybody gets tired. Sometimes, the difference between winners and losers is who handles factors like fatigue better.
"You can say you're tired, or you can reach down like we did," he said. "It's important for you, as a player, to say, 'I'm tougher than that.' Right there at the end, I thought that was who we are."