I'm a Thunder fan. If you think what the ref did on that free throw is what cost them the game then you are crazy. Durant is not some pimple-faced kid. He's not a mental midget. He's one of the best shooters in the history of the league. He cashes that nine times out of 10. Shit happens. I am much more concerned with the play call at the end of the game. You have 2.9 seconds with a chance to win with a two-pointer and the best shot you get is a highly-contested fall-away three from the parking lot? Everyone in the gym knew that they were going to give the ball to Durant. Did anyone even consider using him as a decoy? I love Durant but I'd take anyone on the roster with a semi-open look over that shot they got. Even more concerning is the generally horrible way the Thunder have played in this series. Credit Memphis for their stifling defence but the Thunder should be way better with the talent on this team. It seems to me that if they can't get over the hump that this where they finally fire the coach. His complete and utter lack of offensive creativity despite possessing two of the league's 10 best players is maddening.
You are correct about the officiating in general though. It's absolutely horrible. You can't complain about missed travels though. The NBA has it's own special rules for what is and is not allowed there. The inconsistency with regard to foul calls is ridiculous though. You never know what you are getting play to play, let alone game to game. I can sympathize as a high school official that the game is challenging and that's dealing with athletes nowhere near this big, fast or physical. I also have to say that there is something about the general physicality of the game that simply doesn't translate over the television, even HD. You watch a game live and you realize a foul could be called on every single play. It's like holding in the NFL. But again, it's about consistency and in the NBA there is absolutely none.
Of course, I think that some of this has to do with the nature of how the game is officiated. There are more calls in the NBA than in any sport outside of baseball so there's much more margin for error. If we are going off straight percentages, anyone who has watched a baseball game lately with the ball tracking cameras can tell you that MLB umpires are pretty shitty in their own right. But again, that's as nycg about the number of calls as the degree of difficulty.
Now, we aren't so far removed from the stain of Tim Donaghy that we shouldn't be critical of the NBA officials. Whether it's intentional or general incompetence it needs to be said that the officiating has been abhorrent. That play you cited though. He did the right thing. If he waits until after the free throw then he's basically giving the Grizzlies a free time out. Because he did it when he did neither team was able to organize themselves. Did it need to be done? I'd say no. Did he need to be a colossal prick to the scorer? Definitely not. Should he have seen the error before tossing the ball to the shooter? Absolutely. Did he affect the outcome in this instance? No.