Tough defense cannot be played so every team gets many more open looks for jumpers and a free path to dribble drive toward the basket.
Since the many slower,shorter and overall less athletic players can often be highly skilled at shooting jumpers and making free throws it now appears they have an advantage over past years since the more physically gifted players have a much diminished ability to shut these players down with tight defensive effort due to the officiating environment. So, if a less athletic team has a hot shooting night--especially if the presumed better team does not--it can be "upset time."
