Bennet Salvatore should be done!!!

[greg_kite]

That was the single worst call ever.  That whole third quarter was atrocious.

What cracks me up is how after a phantom offensive foul call (where it was a possible 4-point play), where you've basically been bailed out by the refs, the PA guy says "DEE-Troit Basketball"

So what they're saying is that constantly getting bailed out by the refs making monumentally horrible and one-sided calls is "Dee-troit Basketball?"  When I watch the games sometimes my answer is yes.

I am soooo glad we beat the Pistons.  They totally play the referee game all the time (they shoot open jumpshots well, but that is the only kudos I have for them). 

Pistons mantra: foul 100% of the time, make the refs call %50 of them.  Whine, flop, clutch and grab and force the other team to retaliate to your fouling.  Complain ceaselessly and publicly to the refs in the media even though your team gets every call (Sheed) instead of shutting up and playing like a man (Pierce, Celts).  The Pistons are the worst kind of hacks -- whiny hacks.  I am so glad we beat them playing real hones-to-goodness basketball, not that lawyer-ball they play!

The NBA needs to completely re-think how they call the games.  So many off-the-ball fouls that should be no-calls... so many 50/50 calls with blocking/charging... when the refs try to call every little thing it ruins the flow of the game.  If it doesn't really affect the play, let it go, refs.  And enough with the star treatment.  Lebron gets so many calls, and he flops so much!  When the refs are one-sided it is terrible for the game, but when the refs allow all that flopping and cave in to it, it is just sad.

Heard they were going to fine floppers next year!  Finally.  Andy Verajao, Rip Hamilton, Manu Ginobli, and King James, please get your checkbooks ready!

The great part about that is that their own whining actually took them out of the game.  The C's just executed and when the refs weren't there to bail out the Pistons it was the Pistons who lost their poise.  When I saw Sheed drop that F bomb to the camera man I had a really good feeling that his head wasn't where it was supposed to be and that the C's had to take advantage, which they did.
It's nice to see the C's pull through even everything is going against them.  It makes me feel good about their chances against the evil Lakers.
I like how KG decided to get to the paint more in the fourth.  They needed that just as much as Pierce imposing his will.  I was afraid KG was choking big time, but he pulled through when it counted, making smart plays and playing solid D.

[Kuberski33]

If I were David Stern, the thing that would make me concerned is that a lot of fans genuinely believe the league's officials conspire to turn the game one way or another.  If the officiating is SO bad that people actually believe conspiracy theories, then something must change, sooner rather than later.

Even more [dang]ing is that you've already got a ref going to jail for this. And that ref has publicly called out some of his colleagues.  How can you not watch that 3rd quarter last night and wonder realistically if the game was purposely being manipulated?

[Tenacious D]

The NBA needs to completely re-think how they call the games.  So many off-the-ball fouls ... so many 50/50 calls with blocking/charging. when the refs try to call every little thing it ruins the flow of the game.  If it doesn't really affect the play, let it go

Well spoke, KG. Over and above the poor calls, the refs in the 3rd brought the game to a screaching halt, with a whistle on almost every possession (the PP play, KGs 5th, perk tech, the Sam shuffle). That's not basketball.  Surely part of their job should be to keep the game in flow.

As for the Salvatore call, for 90% of nba refs, that 3 and 1. For 4%, its Prince running into PP for a non-shooting foul, .9% its a travel. Bernard Salvatore: daring to be different.

[angryguy77]

Don't be too hard on these guys. After all refs in the nba are to the wwf what minor league ball is to mlb. That should be a question on the LSAT

[Chris]

Honestly, I think right now the C's should be thanking Salvatore.  If it weren't for his calls in the second half(mostly the Pierce 3), I don't think they would be in nearly as good a position to beat the Lakers as they are.

For the first time, I saw this team show some real mental toughness.  After the Pierce call, they stopped complaining about everything.  It is like they finally realized that the refs are not going to win them the game, so they have to do it themselves, in spite of the refs.  They finally shut their mouths, and let their actions do the talking.

After that call, this C's team finally lost the sense of entitlement that they seem to have been carrying all year, and especially in the playoffs.  The phantom foul is the turning point for this team, and it is the play that has awoken the killer instinct that lay inside all of these players, but was unable to fight its way out through all of the BS and hype that had built up throughout the year.

[buddboy]

Well, on the Pierce play, he traveled. But the game was still called ridiculously and that shouldn't have been a foul. Pierce moved both feet to initiate the contact, and therefore the travel should have been called before the foul, but if he didn't travel, then the foul should have been on the Pistons.

KG's 4th was maddeningly stupid.

At least nobody can claim that the NBA is trying to fix the playoffs by making it easy for the Celtics.

[KJ33]

The NBA needs to completely re-think how they call the games.  So many off-the-ball fouls ... so many 50/50 calls with blocking/charging. when the refs try to call every little thing it ruins the flow of the game.  If it doesn't really affect the play, let it go

Well spoke, KG. Over and above the poor calls, the refs in the 3rd brought the game to a screaching halt, with a whistle on almost every possession (the PP play, KGs 5th, perk tech, the Sam shuffle). That's not basketball.  Surely part of their job should be to keep the game in flow.

As for the Salvatore call, for 90% of nba refs, that 3 and 1. For 4%, its Prince running into PP for a non-shooting foul, .9% its a travel. Bernard Salvatore: daring to be different.

The worst injustice, is that this call came in a game/series against 2 guys who make a living off of getting their man in the air, then jumping up into him for a foul, Billups and Hamilton.  Who can forget the first Pistons game in the regular season when Chauncy got TA off his feet?  Imagine if that was called a charge because Chauncey jumped into him after getting him off his feet?  How about the drive in Game 6 late in the 4th when Chauncey leaned into traffic for that bank shot that was called and 1?  The replay clearly showed Posey trying to twist out of the way, a slight brush at most, but it was Billups who was leaning in trying to draw the contact. 

Nothing wrong with what he and Rip do, but how outrageous that Pierce cannot get that call, he is as much if not more of a scorer than either one of them.  I swear PP gets the least respect as one of the greatest one-on-one scorers and multiple time All-Stars in the league.  This and another charge called on PP, the one against LeBron in Cleveland in Game 6 I believe, have to go down as 2 of the worst calls in the NBA playoffs.

[KJ33]

Well, on the Pierce play, he traveled. But the game was still called ridiculously and that shouldn't have been a foul. Pierce moved both feet to initiate the contact, and therefore the travel should have been called before the foul, but if he didn't travel, then the foul should have been on the Pistons.

KG's 4th was maddeningly stupid.

At least nobody can claim that the NBA is trying to fix the playoffs by making it easy for the Celtics.

Come on now, that is being awfully literal.  Yes the replay showed he moved both of his feet before drawing the contact, but do you realize how routine that is on that lift and duck into the defender play? Go back and watch a highlight reel of Reggie Miller's career, every time he lifted a defender, he shuffled his feet underneath, as do Billups and Hamilton and LeBron and Kobe.  The best players in the league all do this, it is never called a travel, even though technically it should be.  To all of the sudden break out that standard on just that Pierce play is taking it totally out of context.  That was an and 1 by current NBA standards, plain and simple.

[Kuberski33]

Honestly, I think right now the C's should be thanking Salvatore.  If it weren't for his calls in the second half(mostly the Pierce 3), I don't think they would be in nearly as good a position to beat the Lakers as they are.

For the first time, I saw this team show some real mental toughness.  After the Pierce call, they stopped complaining about everything.  It is like they finally realized that the refs are not going to win them the game, so they have to do it themselves, in spite of the refs.  They finally shut their mouths, and let their actions do the talking.

After that call, this C's team finally lost the sense of entitlement that they seem to have been carrying all year, and especially in the playoffs.  The phantom foul is the turning point for this team, and it is the play that has awoken the killer instinct that lay inside all of these players, but was unable to fight its way out through all of the BS and hype that had built up throughout the year.

You nailed it Chris.  Watching the C's bench after that, I was shocked that there wasn't more yapping at the refs from the players and Doc as well.  And in the 4Q, in between my rantings and cuss words at the TV set, I noticed the same kind of mental toughness and determination that I remember from the early Bird years.

I think this team crossed a threshold in the 4Q going from wannabe, pretender, whatever you want to call it -- to elite NBA team.  At one point after a Detroit miss, I noticed the body language of the bench that looked like it was saying they could now taste the Finals vs. maybe the could pull this one out.

And the guys on the floor sure as heck played like it.

That really was something to see. 

Of course, that doesn't change the fact that Salvatore should still be investigated....

[DannyZ]

The call last night wasn't even the worst call of the series.  They worst was in game two when Eddie House was called for a foul after getting kicked in the groin by Billups.  Billups kicked his foot out while shooting a 3.  Eddie clearly jumped straight up to challenge.  The only contact was foot and groin.

That was a atrocious.

[Mean Gerald Green]

Honestly, I think right now the C's should be thanking Salvatore.  If it weren't for his calls in the second half(mostly the Pierce 3), I don't think they would be in nearly as good a position to beat the Lakers as they are.

For the first time, I saw this team show some real mental toughness.  After the Pierce call, they stopped complaining about everything.  It is like they finally realized that the refs are not going to win them the game, so they have to do it themselves, in spite of the refs.  They finally shut their mouths, and let their actions do the talking.

After that call, this C's team finally lost the sense of entitlement that they seem to have been carrying all year, and especially in the playoffs.  The phantom foul is the turning point for this team, and it is the play that has awoken the killer instinct that lay inside all of these players, but was unable to fight its way out through all of the BS and hype that had built up throughout the year.

Excellent post

[CelticPride]

  Don't know if anyone mentioned this, but there was a play before the Pierce incident where Detroit took a shot and Rondo was getting ready to go for the rebound when he just about went flying off the court after getting bumped/shoved from behind. I knew we were in trouble (ref wise) when that wasn't called.

I saw that play and was flabbergasted. I ran it back and forth 3 times on the tivo and even made my wife watch it. I knew we were in for a tough night.

[LakerLanny]

I am a legendary internet poster who is all over the "situation" with NBA officials.

Bennett "The Rat" Salvatore is part of what I call the Circle of 7....these are the officials the NBA uses to manipulate/fix playoff games at their whim.

The Circle of 7 on occassion has changes as a ref mercifully retires and another cockroach takes their place.

Current Circle of 7 List:

Bob Delaney, Joey Crawford, Steve Jobbie (Javie), Bennett "The Rat" Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Jack Nies, Ed F. Rush

[winsomme]

Honestly, I think right now the C's should be thanking Salvatore.  If it weren't for his calls in the second half(mostly the Pierce 3), I don't think they would be in nearly as good a position to beat the Lakers as they are.

For the first time, I saw this team show some real mental toughness.  After the Pierce call, they stopped complaining about everything.  It is like they finally realized that the refs are not going to win them the game, so they have to do it themselves, in spite of the refs.  They finally shut their mouths, and let their actions do the talking.

After that call, this C's team finally lost the sense of entitlement that they seem to have been carrying all year, and especially in the playoffs.  The phantom foul is the turning point for this team, and it is the play that has awoken the killer instinct that lay inside all of these players, but was unable to fight its way out through all of the BS and hype that had built up throughout the year.

TP. they showed huge composure late in the third and early in the fourth. not only was there the foul on the shot but another immediately on the next possession.

then we began the 4th with 3 quick fouls.....i thought DET were going to be in the penalty with like 8 mins left in the 4th and win the game at the FT line. but over the next minute, they basically erased the whole deficit and took back the momentum that was almost entirely with DET only seconds earlier.

lots of credit to Paul for not going ballistic and Doc for keeping the team thinking that the game was still winnable....

[MattG12]

I am a legendary internet poster who is all over the "situation" with NBA officials.

Bennett "The Rat" Salvatore is part of what I call the Circle of 7....these are the officials the NBA uses to manipulate/fix playoff games at their whim.

The Circle of 7 on occassion has changes as a ref mercifully retires and another cockroach takes their place.

Current Circle of 7 List:

Bob Delaney, Joey Crawford, Steve Jobbie (Javie), Bennett "The Rat" Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Jack Nies, Ed F. Rush

There are four refs in the NBA who i do not trust... all four have been mentioned by you(Crawford, Mauer, Salvatore, Rush). For that my friend, you get a tommy point.