How will the media/bloggers see last night (game 3's) officiating?

[indeedproceed]

Last night things I noticed:

Celtics were absolutely on a shorter leash than the lakers as far as allowable contact

Refs didn't think twice about calling smaller (previously uncalled) infractions away from the ball

Refs didn't let us get away with raking the ball (and arms and jersey and body) that they previously had.

In the wake of Phil Jackson's hissy fit after game two, along with statements made by Kobe and the rest of Laker nation, coupled with a (aggressive?) home crowd, the Lakers got more calls that resulted in ft's, and the calls the Celtics did get were almost always away from the ball (not a scientific observation, just my opinion)

How will the press see this - Just rewards? Non-story? All about Kobe? (what isn't?)

[kgiessler]

I could care less.  Like game 2, the team that played better won. 

Just because PJ was able to mislead the Lakers fans when his team played poorly doesn't mean we have to be ignorant as well.

[indeedproceed]

I could care less.  Like game 2, the team that played better won. 

Just because PJ was able to mislead the Lakers fans when his team played poorly doesn't mean we have to be shortsighted as well.

I agree with that, but my point in the post was that after game two, I must've heard the Phil Jackson "Leon Pow...Powe" ft's quote 30 times. The Lakers got the calls, will anyone even make a correlation? I don't blame the officiating for last nights loss, but it made a difference for a win from a lakers squad that while they won, they didn't play all that well either.

[Who]

I know I'm alone on this here, but I thought the referees favoured us if they favoured anyone. Celtics got away with a lot tonight (like KG's screens in the fourth quarter, some of those were utterly ridiculous). Celtics had some weak calls go against them but so too did the Lakers.

Biggest difference last night was the Lakers stopped hacking at the ball defensively for no good reason. Those needless fouls they were making were mostly gone. That made a huge difference because they weren't in the penalty all night.

Then add in the Celtics reluctance to take it strong to the hoop. Rondo didn't have a great night and Pierce didn't have a great night, that means next to no penetration. KG didn't play in the paint, Powe didn't have enough minutes. Hard to draw fouls when those four things aren't happening. This team is very reliant on Rondo/Pierce/KG to get the defense off balance in order to create space for the rest of the cast, without that it's easy to play man-to-man defense and Lakers play good defense when they can do that.

[indeedproceed]

I know I'm alone on this here, but I thought the referees favoured us if they favoured anyone. Celtics got away with a lot tonight (like KG's screens in the fourth quarter, some of those were utterly ridiculous). Celtics had some weak calls go against them but so too did the Lakers.

Biggest difference last night was the Lakers stopped hacking at the ball defensively for no good reason. Those needless fouls they were making were mostly gone. That made a huge difference because they weren't in the penalty all night.

Then add in the Celtics reluctance to take it strong to the hoop. Rondo didn't have a great night and Pierce didn't have a great night, that means next to no penetration. KG didn't play in the paint, Powe didn't have enough minutes. Hard to draw fouls when those four things aren't happening. This team is very reliant on Rondo/Pierce/KG to get the defense off balance in order to create space for the rest of the cast, without that it's easy to play man-to-man defense and Lakers play good defense when they can do that.

I trust in your basketball knowledge Who but I can't believe the calls favored the Celtics...I know the fourth quarter wasn't as bad as the rest of the game but I thought the lakers got the benefit in an easy majority of the calls

[BballTim]

  I'm not in any way trying to blame the loss on the referees, and this might deserve it's own thread, but how stupid are these guys? There was a big FT discrepancy in our favor during game 2, Phil and Kobe cry about it after the game, the entire media expect the officiating to favor the Lakers, and a big story comes out that day claiming that the refs sometimes try to influence game with their calls. And what happens? Kobe gets 8 FTs in the first 8-9 minutes, and the Lakers go out to a 20-4 FT advantage to start the game. This is literally the equivalent of the NFL letting Pats employees with cameras sit in the stands during the Giant's SB walkthrough. David Stern = Forrest Gump.

  And again I'm only talking about appearances, this isn't why the Celts lost, but c'mon.

[Who]

I know I'm alone on this here, but I thought the referees favoured us if they favoured anyone. Celtics got away with a lot tonight (like KG's screens in the fourth quarter, some of those were utterly ridiculous). Celtics had some weak calls go against them but so too did the Lakers.

Biggest difference last night was the Lakers stopped hacking at the ball defensively for no good reason. Those needless fouls they were making were mostly gone. That made a huge difference because they weren't in the penalty all night.

Then add in the Celtics reluctance to take it strong to the hoop. Rondo didn't have a great night and Pierce didn't have a great night, that means next to no penetration. KG didn't play in the paint, Powe didn't have enough minutes. Hard to draw fouls when those four things aren't happening. This team is very reliant on Rondo/Pierce/KG to get the defense off balance in order to create space for the rest of the cast, without that it's easy to play man-to-man defense and Lakers play good defense when they can do that.

I trust in your basketball knowledge Who but I can't believe the calls favored the Celtics...I know the fourth quarter wasn't as bad as the rest of the game but I thought the lakers got the benefit in an easy majority of the calls

By and large I thought the game was fine. (I'm just going to ramble here for a bit)

Just on the quarters ... The only quarter I'd look at and question is the first quarter. That's when the Lakers built up a large FT difference. That's the only one that I didn't think was very even.

Fourth Quarter Lakers recieved no extra benefits. Celtics just made dumb fouls to start the period which put them in the penalty with 8:40 still in the game. Which meant they couldn't reach or harrass defensively in case they put someone on the line for an easy two FTs. Allowed the Lakers to be extra aggressive in putting offensive pressure on Boston.

Third Quarter was very even. Celtics even drew two fouls in the first minute of the period. They just didn't take advantage of it, they spent the next 5 minutes not driving the ball to the hoop. If they had they would have lived at the line or at least put LA under as much pressure as Boston were under in the fourth, only LA aren't as good defensively so it would have shown up more. Next penetrating play was at the 7 minute mark, fouled again, then they stopped driving again.

Second Quarter was also very even. Celtics had an advantage in the fouls department until they started slapping at the ball again late in the second quarter. Then LA went to the line a bunch of times. Every time they make those dumb reach in fouls it bails out good defense. Celtics also had two fouls on Boston within the first two minutes again and didn't make enough use of it. Again they got the third after another 3 minutes. Again they didn't drive. At the end of those two minutes Odom had 3 fouls, 2 were soft fouls (I can't remember the one in the middle, oh yeah, I thought that was on Radmanovic) but fouls nonetheless. Incidently Radmanovic picked up his third foul shortly after.

First Quarter Lakers got to the line a lot. Mostly good calls to the more aggressive team. Lakers got an extra call here and there in this quarter but they were also whistled for some ticky tack calls on the other end which is why I don't think they got any large advantage from it.

The Celtics are getting away with a lot of contact on Kobe Bryant. He was fouled 5-7 other times that weren't called last night. Gasol gets fouled a fair bit too. Unlike Odom who keeps getting whistled for any little foul on a reach after a rebound .... Gasol has been smacked twice in the face after rebounds without any fouls on Boston, that's not even Odom slapping at the arm trying to knock the ball loose, it's somebody making contact smack bam in the middle of his face right in front of the referees and not being called. Happened in Game Two also. There's a lot of contact on Gasol all over the floor, especially after rebounds (they like to push Gasol after a contested rebound and see if he spills the ball, lot of body contact, mostly fine but some are fouls, none are called) and in the paint. Lot of contact on a few Odom drives, no fouls called.

Frankly the Celtics are getting away with a lot more contact than the Lakers are (as top defensive teams by reputation normally do), more than enough for me not to see the refs favouring the other side.

Those soft calls on Boston, I thought for the most part they got calls like that on the other end.

Like I said biggest difference (on Lakers fouls) was the Lakers didn't hack away last night. They were awful in the first two games for reaching in for the ball and got themselves into so much unneccessary trouble. Lakers also didn't cheat as much off their man which led to less open lanes. Celtics didn't penetrate hard which led to even less opportunities to draw fouls.

If Pierce and KG had of taken it to the hoop hard Los Angeles wouldn't have even had a free throw advantage tonight.

[indeedproceed]

  I'm not in any way trying to blame the loss on the referees, and this might deserve it's own thread, but how stupid are these guys? There was a big FT discrepancy in our favor during game 2, Phil and Kobe cry about it after the game, the entire media expect the officiating to favor the Lakers, and a big story comes out that day claiming that the refs sometimes try to influence game with their calls. And what happens? Kobe gets 8 FTs in the first 8-9 minutes, and the Lakers go out to a 20-4 FT advantage to start the game. This is literally the equivalent of the NFL letting Pats employees with cameras sit in the stands during the Giant's SB walkthrough. David Stern = Forrest Gump.

  And again I'm only talking about appearances, this isn't why the Celts lost, but c'mon.

THats what Im saying. Phil Jackson said something after a game, and it appeared to directly influence the way the refs call the next game. At a time when officiating is being scrutinized at a ridiculous level, the subjectivity of the game is once again (in my opinion) shown.

Who: Next game I am taking notes. I will not have you completely present a case against a casual opinion/theory I had without recourse. I will have my revenge. I won't even drink beer during the next game. Good job stating your case today.

I will say though in the first quarter I thought a tone was set by the referees telling the C's that they can't get away with the same crap tonight

[ma11l]

I like Lakers win, non story.  The better team won games 1 and 2, the better team won game 3.  Kobe showed up, Paul and KG didn't, Lakers win 99 out of 100 times when that is the case.  We almost pulled off that 1 out of 100 percent chance last night but we didn't.