Inetersting response by ESPN's JHollinger on today's chat

[crownsy]

indeed, and suprisngly enough the officiating was only really terrible in ATL, where basketball is dying.

At home we got away with murder. no one on the "conspiracy's theories" thinks stern wanted us to lose, just for Atlanta to sell more than 8000 tixs a game next year. what better way to do that then give them a 2-1 FT edge at home?

[Slugger]

I think Hollinger's point was that his stats said before the Hawks series that the Celtics were an excellent team, maybe the best team in the league. He's inferring that just because the series went 7 games it should not effect people's opinions on just how good a team the Celtics are. He then tries to validate the point with, big surprise here, more of his stats saying they had the highest point differential even though it went 7 games. Bigger even than LA's overwelming sweep of Denver.

His explanation is that the Hawks got lucky in 3, 50-50 percent chances of winning close games by having their side of that 50-50 coin coming up their way.

I don't think Hollinger is trying to say anything about the league, the refs, or anything else creating the 7 game series, that it just was one of those lucky things that went the Hawks way.

Luck or chance is when you throw the coin up in the air 3 times and they all land on heads.  There is no luck involved here.  They actually played the game.  As soon as that first jump ball takes place, any so called luck factor goes out the window, and thats where skill and poise takeover.

Give the Hawks some credit Hollinger.