John Wall had a theory about foul-baiting NBA stars. The former Washington Wizards point guard, who played the game with speed and force rather than shiftiness and guile, thought the playoffs were kryptonite for basketball’s most controversial manipulators.

Once, after a postseason practice in Toronto, Wall broke it down for me. Playoff intensity dictates more leniency for physical defense. Fans watch the games more closely, so antics accepted as ordinary during the regular season become emotion-fueled storylines. Gamesmanship, from coaches and players when speaking with the media, increases pressure on the referees, resulting in a level of overcorrection that’s only human. And in clutch situations, NBA history shows an officiating tradition of letting the players decide the ending.

“So

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