We are getting WORKED by the refs

[mbrockma]

The officiating is not the reason this series will go to 7 games. A Cs fan complaining about "using body and hands on D" is silly - seeing how the Cs have played that exact physical D all year. Even the announcers have noted that the Hawks drive and slash to the hoop and the Cs jump shoot.

Look at it this way - with real estate and the stock market doing so badly, you have perhaps the greatest investment opportunity you'll see in a long time coming up on Sunday. Take the Cs.

On the regular season the Celtics averaged 26.5 fta and gave up 26.3 fta.  The hawks averaged 27.2 and gave up 23.7.  The stats do not back up your explanation.  The hawks series fta avg (34) is way above both what they average on the season and what the Celtics give up.  And the Celtics postseason fta (22) is down slightly.

[EJPLAYA]

its called "home-cooking" its a shame, but it happens in the NBA, on sunday we will get the calls that they don't get and we will not be complaining about the refs while the hawks will be getting screwed!

No we won't, because we have been getting screwed half the time at home as well. The difference is that we have been hitting shots better there and they don't have the home crowd to pump them up. I guarantee they won't need it though on Sunday. We will be lucky to get out of this series. I really am having major concerns about this looking like a championship team, let alone one who can get to the finals.

EJ, this team is going to get a huge breath of fresh air if we can close out against the Hawks. i don't think there will be any lasting effects from this series (unless Pierce actually is hurt or something like that).

i think we will come out like a monster against the Cavs if we get there. and i think we will play really well on Sunday.

I sure hope you're right. I know we play much worse against a young athletic team than we do the veterans. I have been most afraid of Washington and Orlando in the east for that reason. I just didn't think that the Hawks were anywhere near in that league. I am sure we will pull out a win on Sunday, but there is a lot more pressure on us than there is on the Hawks. I think from the last few minutes of this game we know how we are currently handling pressure.

[NoraG1]

The officiating is not the reason this series will go to 7 games. A Cs fan complaining about "using body and hands on D" is silly - seeing how the Cs have played that exact physical D all year. Even the announcers have noted that the Hawks drive and slash to the hoop and the Cs jump shoot.

Look at it this way - with real estate and the stock market doing so badly, you have perhaps the greatest investment opportunity you'll see in a long time coming up on Sunday. Take the Cs.

On the regular season the Celtics averaged 26.5 fta and gave up 26.3 fta.  The hawks averaged 27.2 and gave up 23.7.  The stats do not back up your explanation.  The hawks series fta avg (34) is way above both what they average on the season and what the Celtics give up.  And the Celtics postseason fta (22) is down slightly.

TP for you. You illustrated my point aabout free throw disparity. It is ridiculous and totally lopsided in the Hawks favor.

[mbrockma]

Thanks, my first TP.  I'm going to try and figure out how lopsided this is in postseason history, I'm not sure how, could take awhile...that should earn me a few more.

[libermaniac]

2 of those fouls on Rondo were ridiculous.  That "moving screen" in the first half took Rondo out for most of the half.  A 12 point lead could've gone in the other direction.  And that ridiculous call when Bibby tripped by Rondo was a joke.

[mbrockma]

The most ridiculous calls in the series did not even happen tonight.  In previous games, on at least 2-3 occasions, Rondo nearly was killed while attempting layups.  I think it was Smith trying to block the shots, he keeps slamming Rondo in mid-air with his body and sending him flying off the court.  And not once was it called a foul.

[biggs1221]

The officiating is not the reason this series will go to 7 games. A Cs fan complaining about "using body and hands on D" is silly - seeing how the Cs have played that exact physical D all year. Even the announcers have noted that the Hawks drive and slash to the hoop and the Cs jump shoot.

Look at it this way - with real estate and the stock market doing so badly, you have perhaps the greatest investment opportunity you'll see in a long time coming up on Sunday. Take the Cs.

Calling the C's defense during the regular season "physical" is a joke.  While the C's may have benefited from some calls / non calls through the year, I cant recall a game where they pushed and pulled people around, like the Hawks are doing to them now.  Moreover, the C's caused an exorbitant amount of turnovers throughout the year by taking charges - which is the antithesis of physical play.

Regardless, again, it is the overall tenure of the officiating in this series that I find problematic.

[biggs1221]

Another point to add to this thread:

Many people have argued that the free throw discrepancy is the result of the Hawks driving to the hoop a lot more, while the C's have settled for jump shots.

Yet, a quick look at the shot chart indicates that the # of shots in the paint for each team were pretty equivalent.  Moreover, the C's appear to have taken more mid range shots, whereas Atlanta settled for a lot of shots right inside the 3 point line.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/shotchart?gameId=280502001

I'd also add a few more things:

a) there is no incentive to drive when the risk of a blocked shot is high and the odds of getting a foul called are low;

b) the C's moved the ball through the paint a lot, although many times it resulted in an outside shot;

c) the physical play of the Hawks, combined with the poor officiating,  prevented drives through the paint.  In other words, if the officials didnt swallow their whistles away from the ball or outside of the paint, the game may have opened up more for the C's, allowing them to drive;

d) there were spurts throughout the game where the C's did forcefully take it to the hole to no avail.  Powe and Pierce were getting hammered all game, without getting calls.  Meanwhile, they were both victims of numerous terrible calls on the other end.

Sorry for the rant

[lemonadesky]

You folks think the Celtics are not getting calls against the Hawks? Wait until they go against the Cavs (if they manage to avoid a 2007 Mavericks embarrassment on Sunday). LeBron is getting even more bail out, phantom calls than ever before. It's so bad I can't even watch parts of Cleveland games. Jeff Van Gundy hit the nail on the head when he questioned whether LeBron would have been suspended if the roles had been reversed between he and Darius Songaila. The NBA is going to try to help the Cavs back to the finals, wait and see.

I can't say the refs are the problem against the Hawks, however. The Celtics poor defense is causing them to hack away.

As for the Celtics being championship material, I never thought they were. The team was supremely motivated for the regular season, above and beyond other good teams that had been good in prior years. They may not have another notch to turn it up for the playoffs.

[NoraG1]

You folks think the Celtics are not getting calls against the Hawks? Wait until they go against the Cavs (if they manage to avoid a 2007 Mavericks embarrassment on Sunday). LeBron is getting even more bail out, phantom calls than ever before. It's so bad I can't even watch parts of Cleveland games. Jeff Van Gundy hit the nail on the head when he questioned whether LeBron would have been suspended if the roles had been reversed between he and Darius Songaila. The NBA is going to try to help the Cavs back to the finals, wait and see.

I can't say the refs are the problem against the Hawks, however. The Celtics poor defense is causing them to hack away.

As for the Celtics being championship material, I never thought they were. The team was supremely motivated for the regular season, above and beyond other good teams that had been good in prior years. They may not have another notch to turn it up for the playoffs.

And the Hawks were not hacking away? I have no problem with them calling fouls as long as it is the same on both sides. It doesn't seem to be though. The free throw disparity is outrageous. I can understand some difference in the free throws but this is way too much of a difference.