Who will the refs be playing for?

[Analyst]

What I've noticed since the infamous LA-Portland game 7 was that refs wait for momentum changers to make the bad call and they always,always,always go the way of LA. See LA-Portland - LA-Sacramento, LA-Minnesota or even the horrible no foul call in the last series on Barry's the point attempt. Bad calls will be made against LA but NEVER, NEVER when the game is on the line.

Do any of you remember the playoff game between LA-Minnesota when Kobe tied the game on a three point shot and one (foul) when there was no Timberwolve within 4 feet of him? The Timberwolves won in overtime despite the fact that Garnett was handed his sixth foul when he was away from the play, despite the fact that Kobe shoved a Timberwolve on inbounds play for a steal with no call. The only reason why the Lakers lost is because they missed nearly all their free throw attempts. After the game when asked about the officiating Phil Jackson replied sarcastically that it's a good thing the better team won.

Look the Celtics will get their share of bad call go their way but Never when it counts most, during a run or when the game is on the line. I used to be a huge Shaq fan when he played for Orlando but when I watched the way he was able to foul Portland insesintly without getting called I began to wonder if the fix was on. When I saw the Sacramento series a year later I knew it for sure.

Isn't it strange how LA is never involved in the huge playoff controversies like San Antonio (the Brent Barry 3), or Portland (game 7 vs LA), Sacramento (every series vs LA) but is never on the bad end of the calls.

When the Celtics win game 1 watch how the refs will favour LA in game 2 to prevent a short series. The one thing going for the refs is that the C's lead all teams in 08 playoff in the stat fouls per game so if LA goes to the line much more than the C's - well the excuse has been built right in.

My only question is: does the NBA care who wins the finals? I hope not.

[Celtic]

The Laker's Kobe/Shaq years were an embarrassment for the league, the Lakers were openly allowed to foul, flop, dive and cry, and Shaq could take about 4 steps with no reaction from the refs. These were the years when the NBA yes men on TV started saying how difficult it is to referee Shaq because he is so big, this was pure hogwash. Shaq is very easy to officiate, you just have to be willing to make the right call, and don't get me started on 3 seconds with him.

Of all the cheated teams I think Sacramento has the biggest argument, their game 6 in the WCF was the worst NBA game I have ever seen, and if ever a game was fixed, this was it. They simply were not allowed to win, and the referees became desperate to force the Lakers to win.

All that said, I hope the officiating will be balanced in the Finals, Kobe will get the bad calls, hopefully the Celts will too, but it shouldn't be too lopsided, these are NBA officials though so it is impossible to put any faith in them. Lebron worries me more than Kobe when it comes to a player's team being given an extra push by the refs.

[Section 87]

Legions of Celtics fans will tell you: The league wanted the young Atlanta team to win, so the refs gave the first round to Atlanta. The league wanted LeBron James in the finals, so the refs gave that round to Cleveland. Then they wanted Detroit, so they gave the conference finals to Detroit. Really they did. Just ask the conspriacy theorists right here on this website. The fix is in. The Celtics have lost three playoff rounds so far this year, because of Stern and his hatred of the Celtics. How can you expect anything different in the Finals?

[hpantazo]

we didn't even get the calls against detroit, so you can imagine what will happen against kobe and the holy lakers. We are going to get screwed big time by the refs, much more than we have been in any other series, we just have to win in spite of it. This and the fact that Doc is totally outmatched as a coach are my only concerns for this series.

[Analyst]

Just a bit more regarding the Wolves-Lakers game 3, series tied 1-1. The following link says it all.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2003/story?id=1544876

I'm sure KG remembers it well.

The refs will make certain to "steal" one game in Boston otherwise the calls in LA will be beyond horrible.
Just keep watching for the bad calls that are momentum changers.

[hpantazo]

Legions of Celtics fans will tell you: The league wanted the young Atlanta team to win, so the refs gave the first round to Atlanta. The league wanted LeBron James in the finals, so the refs gave that round to Cleveland. Then they wanted Detroit, so they gave the conference finals to Detroit. Really they did. Just ask the conspriacy theorists right here on this website. The fix is in. The Celtics have lost three playoff rounds so far this year, because of Stern and his hatred of the Celtics. How can you expect anything different in the Finals?

you can make fun of it all you want, but the LA-Sac series was clearly BS as was that offensive foul call on Pierce's 3 pointer in game 6, that was just totally dissrespectful to people who pay good money to watch pro basketball.

[Analyst]

We didn't get the calls in Detroit because the league wanted to see it go 7. There's no doubt that the C's would have never been allowed to lose game 7.

Isn't it strange how we blew out Atlanta at home but kept losing close games on the road. The Celtics didn't play well but the refs sure helped Atlanta in their building. The NBA needed a long series in Atlanta to help them with next years ticket sales. I'm sure it worked.

[angryguy77]

Get ready for a pipe job of epic scale. I just hope we can overcome it. All the Kobe = MJ talk should tip anyone off about what going to go down this series. Kobe is great but all of a sudden after 3 playoff series this conversation has heated up. What a joke this league has become.

I've had a couple of conversations with fans and non fans and they all say that the officiating is the big thing that turns them off. They have to clean this image up or I don't see this league staying as a top 3 sport.

[hpantazo]

Get ready for a pipe job of epic scale. I just hope we can overcome it. All the Kobe = MJ talk should tip anyone off about what going to go down this series. Kobe is great but all of a sudden after 3 playoff series this conversation has heated up. What a joke this league has become.

I've had a couple of conversations with fans and non fans and they all say that the officiating is the big thing that turns them off. They have to clean this image up or I don't see this league staying as a top 3 sport.

all I know is, if we get screwed over in this series like sac and minny did in the past, I'm not watching anymore because there is nothing to look forward to.

[Cman]

Get ready for a pipe job of epic scale. I just hope we can overcome it. All the Kobe = MJ talk should tip anyone off about what going to go down this series. Kobe is great but all of a sudden after 3 playoff series this conversation has heated up. What a joke this league has become.

I've had a couple of conversations with fans and non fans and they all say that the officiating is the big thing that turns them off. They have to clean this image up or I don't see this league staying as a top 3 sport.

Part of me agrees with the overall sentiment of the post above and most of the posts on this topic.  On the other hand, league officiating has come under fire recently (gambling refs, blown calls in playoff games), so I wouldn't be surprised if there are stern commands from above to call the game fairly.  Pun intended.  But we'll see. 

By the way, can anyone update me: was the flagrant foul on PJ Brown reversed?

[ma11l]

Legions of Celtics fans will tell you: The league wanted the young Atlanta team to win, so the refs gave the first round to Atlanta. The league wanted LeBron James in the finals, so the refs gave that round to Cleveland. Then they wanted Detroit, so they gave the conference finals to Detroit. Really they did. Just ask the conspriacy theorists right here on this website. The fix is in. The Celtics have lost three playoff rounds so far this year, because of Stern and his hatred of the Celtics. How can you expect anything different in the Finals?

The league didn't necessarily want us to lose those series, it can be theorized that they wanted those series to go 7 games though.

[hpantazo]

Legions of Celtics fans will tell you: The league wanted the young Atlanta team to win, so the refs gave the first round to Atlanta. The league wanted LeBron James in the finals, so the refs gave that round to Cleveland. Then they wanted Detroit, so they gave the conference finals to Detroit. Really they did. Just ask the conspriacy theorists right here on this website. The fix is in. The Celtics have lost three playoff rounds so far this year, because of Stern and his hatred of the Celtics. How can you expect anything different in the Finals?

The league didn't necessarily want us to lose those series, it can be theorized that they wanted those series to go 7 games though.

that's right, and they will want this series to go 7 games, and have the lakers win on "kobe's greatness". They will have a huge number of opportunities to give kobe game changing calls, just wait and see.

[biggs]

Get ready for a pipe job of epic scale. I just hope we can overcome it. All the Kobe = MJ talk should tip anyone off about what going to go down this series. Kobe is great but all of a sudden after 3 playoff series this conversation has heated up. What a joke this league has become.

I've had a couple of conversations with fans and non fans and they all say that the officiating is the big thing that turns them off. They have to clean this image up or I don't see this league staying as a top 3 sport.

Your so right about the non fans.  I make my brother watch a lot of games ( he hates bball) and even though he doesn't know the rules too well even he can notice when the refs are calling things one way and it's usually against the celtics.

To be honest I don't really like the theme of this thread.  It is pretty obvious that there has been some serious lopsided games for us thus far, but I think to complain about the officiating before it happens is a bit pessimistic. 

Ultimately Kobe is a jerk and though he finally got his M.V.P (lifetime achievement award) he is not a good poster boy for the league ala (dwight howard, bron, dwayde) so don't get too worried. 

All we need to worry about is if we play good d or not.

And if the refs really steal the series from us we can just start a riot in front of David Sterns house.

[Analyst]

Maybe that's why the ESPN analysts are all picking LA. They must know something we don't.

I'm waiting for all of those tough fouls to be called against Boston. They play tough D so it works in the refs favor. One way to counteract the reffing influence will be to run up large margains on the road before halftime but that would in essence take the C's out of their defensive mind set although I feel that an uptempo style would actually bennefit the C's. Their 3 point shooters are all better when shooting in rhytnm as opposed to standing still like they've been doing in these playoffs. Dump it inside then kick it out. You can't exactly call offnesive fouls on the three point shooter unless he pushes off.(note the sarcasm) The C's will have to win BIG in order to etch out a title this year although I give them as much of a chance of winning as Sacrament had against LA.

Isn't it a sad state of events that everyone feels the fix is in, that the NBA wants (no needs) Kobe to win one without Shaq in order to increase its marketing appeal?

[Shiz1111]

No matter how the refs call it, we just have to win in spite of the bad calls. I know they'll be coming, The C's just have to play above it.