Singing Like a Bird?

Are NBA games fixed? (this one's sure to fire up a few on this blog...)

The Tim Donaghy scandal just got more serious.

The disgraced former NBA referee told authorities in a four-page letter released Tuesday that two officials conspired to fix the outcome of a 2002 playoff series and influenced several other post- and regular-season games.

Court documents filed by Donaghy's lawyer detailed the "inner-workings" of a plot in which top league executives used referees to manipulate the games. Donaghy claims two referees were "company men" whose job was to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.

The documents did not name the series, but the Lakers-Kings Western Conference finals was the only series in 2002 that went to a seventh game, with the Lakers winning both Game 6 and 7 to reach the NBA Finals.

Phil Jackson isn't saying he believes the story yet, but...

"Was that after the fifth game, after we had the game stolen away from us on a bad call?" he said, referring to a game-changing play by Kings guard Mike Bibby in the final moments.

I'm going to say this is bad news for the NBA...