Honestly Feels Kind Of Scripted

[Phantom255x]

Going to catch a lot of heat for saying this, but screw it, I will.

I'm starting to feel like Rockets fans and Celtics fans (like us) were played like fools in the conference finals. Feels like the NBA really wanted Cavs-Warriors again, but also wanted ECF and WCF to go 7 games to bring in even more $$$ and to add more "intrigue" to the playoffs.

So Houston and Boston have great starts in Games 6-7, but then practically forget how to shoot and play defense in the 2nd half? Wow.

Idk... my dad usually doesn't complain about it either (refs and league rigging) but even he was upset today after last night's game and felt it was rigged. Celtics do all that the entire series and to start Game 7, and play that bad the last 2.5 quarters of Game 7...

Not solely blaming the refs either, but it does seem odd. They've been fair except for that stretch where they make calls benefiting Warriors or Cavaliers in crucial times to shift momentum and such. (Look at this HOU-GSW Game, all 3rd quarter)

Both Houston and Boston kept bricking 3s but barely made adjustments and kept firing away, and overall playing dumb basketball. Welp.

And even if viewership for the Finals goes down a bit, both the conference finals going 7 games brought in a lot of $$$ too and Warriors+Lebron should still bring in a lot of revenue anyways.

-Sigh- Warriors and Cavaliers again. You wonder what could have been if CP3 wasn't out the last two games and we were healthy ourselves -Sigh again-

[nickagneta]

Wait. So you admit that Houston and Boston bricked tons of threes and played stupid basketball but somehow the league rigged the games? Come on. Houston and Boston missed tons of wide open uncontested 3s in their game 7s. Thats why they lost. Not because the games were rigged.

[bopna]

Sigh...

The only one writing the script are the basketball gods.
Ariza and Rozier would have to be paid by the league to perform a 0 for from three point line.. Nope only the basketball gods can put a lid on the ring whenever theyd shoot.

Only the bsketball gods can create blessing in disguise when CP3 goes down with a Hamstring injury in the middle of giving GS a beating in this series and ofcourse we already know how Hayward and Kyrie going down for the season in Boston.

[GreenWarrior]

I fully believe the refs in the NBA are corrupt. but I don't think we lost game 7 because of them.

we lost because once again a brad stevens led team lost because the team settled for jump shots. 

we either need to get better shooters in here or get the message across that taking poor jump shots are never going to fall and we should stop taking them.

though I would argue the stoppage in play when LeBron went out of bounds when he went for the steal on tatum wasn't even questionably suspect, it was downright suspect.

it's a shame that at this level that their is no system in place that investigates this sorta crap. it makes it all feel so cheap.

I love the Celtics but hate the NBA for reasons such as this. I should not know these officials names, I should not go into a game thinking "who's officiating". again I love the Celtics but I hate the league.

[Phantom255x]

Wait. So you admit that Houston and Boston bricked tons of threes and played stupid basketball but somehow the league rigged the games? Come on. Houston and Boston missed tons of wide open uncontested 3s in their game 7s. Thats why they lost. Not because the games were rigged.

Again, it sounds stupid, but even when Houston and Boston tried to drive and score inside, they'd get bumped or hit and the refs just swallowed their whistles, so they started to settle for jump shots and 3s more. But you're right, Houston and Boston just went ice cold behind the arc in Game 7.

Which is a shame because they started off well Games 6 and 7 then just went 'MIA'...

[Phantom255x]

I fully believe the refs in the NBA are corrupt. but I don't think we lost game 7 because of them.

we lost because once again a brad stevens led team lost because the team settled for jump shots. 

we either need to get better shooters in here or get the message across that taking poor jump shots are never going to fall and we should stop taking them.

though I would argue the stoppage in play when LeBron went out of bounds when he went for the steal on tatum wasn't even questionably suspect, it was downright suspect.

it's a shame that at this level that their is no system in place that investigates this sorta crap. it makes it all feel so cheap.

I love the Celtics but hate the NBA for reasons such as this. I should not know these officials names, I should not go into a game thinking "who's officiating". again I love the Celtics but I hate the league.

The part about "who's officiating" is spot on.

That shouldn't even be an issue and yet all over social media sites and even on here people actually follow it hard and post on threads (including me). Also makes games feel so predictable (like that ugly Game 4 loss in the PHI series with Fosters/Brothers).

NBA needs to fix this issue somehow. Reading a referee list/report should not dictate how a game will usually go (also depending on particular teams playing) before it's even played. I hope the players and coaches bring this up more in the summer.

[CF033]

It's no different that it's ever been, it always feels like the games are being 'tweaked' a little with missed or made calls. There is lots of wiggle room for the refs (calling touch fouls, letting them play physical, charges vs blocking fouls etc.) There have been complaints about refs since sports have been around.

But the refs didn't make T-Ro go 0-10 from behind the stripe. We def lost the game yesterday. And Houston tonight going 0-27 from three in one stretch... They lost too.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Nah.  While frustrating, it wasn't scripted.  This is the way it was likely to go before the season even started.  Boston needed a year to adjust, and then with the injury, it was clear the East would go through LeBron again until proven otherwise.  And while GS hasn't been great recently, and HOU gave them a scare even without CP, GS remains the best team in the NBA.  The Celts will need to improve quite a bit to dethrone them next year, but I think they'll be up for the challenge.

[Beat LA]

Nope, it really feels like analytics vs dudes, or in our case, dude, lol , who actually know how to play the game, unfortunately, imo. Think Yankees-Red Sox circa 2003. I think.

[Roy H.]

The only way that theory makes sense is if you think the NBA paid off guys like Rozier, Smart and Brown.

[ederson]

The thing is that the celtics and the rockets gave away the final themselves. If you think that both teams just played along then I don't understand why you follow the league at all.

[G-Bones]

 :)I agree with you, Phantom.  Sure, our guys went cold beyond the arc.  But, they knew it was going to take their best effort to overcome the biased officiating.

I will not watch any of the NBA finals.  As stated by others in this thread, I love the Celtics, but hate the NBA and its poor officiating.  Star treatment?  Why do they have a different set of rules depending on who the player is?  Tired of seeing LeBron being treated like the Queen of the league.

Wait. So you admit that Houston and Boston bricked tons of threes and played stupid basketball but somehow the league rigged the games? Come on. Houston and Boston missed tons of wide open uncontested 3s in their game 7s. Thats why they lost. Not because the games were rigged.

Again, it sounds stupid, but even when Houston and Boston tried to drive and score inside, they'd get bumped or hit and the refs just swallowed their whistles, so they started to settle for jump shots and 3s more. But you're right, Houston and Boston just went ice cold behind the arc in Game 7.


Which is a shame because they started off well Games 6 and 7 then just went 'MIA'...

[jambr380]

Wait. So you admit that Houston and Boston bricked tons of threes and played stupid basketball but somehow the league rigged the games? Come on. Houston and Boston missed tons of wide open uncontested 3s in their game 7s. Thats why they lost. Not because the games were rigged.

Come on, the NBA obviously reduced the circumference of the Cs/Rockets rims in the 2nd half leading to so many rimmed out jump shots. It's the only thing that makes sense 

I didn't watch the 2nd half of the Rockets/Warriors. Even though the Rockets had the lead at the half, they never seized control - much like the Cs - and I was not surprised at all to see the final score. I agree that a non-call here and there or a stoppage in play can swing the momentum/decision making in a game, but not being able to hit the broad side of a barn is really on the players.

[gouki88]

Wait. So you admit that Houston and Boston bricked tons of threes and played stupid basketball but somehow the league rigged the games? Come on. Houston and Boston missed tons of wide open uncontested 3s in their game 7s. Thats why they lost. Not because the games were rigged.

Come on, the NBA obviously reduced the circumference of the Cs/Rockets rims in the 2nd half leading to so many rimmed out jump shots. It's the only thing that makes sense 

I didn't watch the 2nd half of the Rockets/Warriors. Even though the Rockets had the lead at the half, they never seized control - much like the Cs - and I was not surprised at all to see the final score. I agree that a non-call here and there or a stoppage in play can swing the momentum/decision making in a game, but not being able to hit the broad side of a barn is really on the players.

I'm not saying that it was rigged or whatever - both Houston and Boston were somehow infected by the spirit of Marcus Smart - but, some brutal no-calls on Harden really messed up both his and the Rockets' rhythm. Two fouls that were clearly there on 3 point attempts just ignored. Really swung momentum towards Golden State.

Again, they shouldn't have been in the position where something like this should've hurt them at all. But, those timely no-calls really rocked Houston

[G-Bones]

 Tatum deserved a few foul calls in his favor when he drove the lane.  He got very few.  Shameful