Lakers fans: say game was fixed?

[WBrownTrophy]

I couldn't help but look at the Lakers blog comments during the game here...   

http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2008/06/08/lakersceltics-game-2-chat/#comments   

and there are many, many comments blaming the game almost completely on the refs, claiming that this game was fixed by Bob Delaney etc.

Also, Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant explicitly called out the refs in this game.

Is this just sour grapes? or were the refs really making calls more for the Celtics way tonight?

Personally I think the foul discrepancy was because the the Celtics were more aggressive offensively and defensively. Much of the time Rondo got his players IN position and the Lakers players OUT of position, thus committing the foul rather than playing good aggressive defense.

I have heard Phil complain about the refs explicitly like that in past series, but the Laker fns are prettttty angry about, maybe it's because we are up 2-0     

[wdleehi]

The only reason they can say that is because the Celtics let up and allowed the lakers to come back in. 


If the Celtics kept the foot on the throat, they would have nothing to say.


In the end, Celtics were more aggressive and at home.   

[joebianca]

The Celtics definitely got the calls tonight, just like the Lakers are going to get them in Game 3. The referees are instructed to preserve home court advantage and help the series go as long as possible, IMO. Sucks, but that's how it is.

[BudweiserCeltic]

If they're going to discredit our wins with this ref crap, then the argument should go "you shouldn't even be in the finals", since the Lakers have enjoyed this type of ref "advantage" through the whole playoffs.

Funny how things are perceived differently when you're winning or losing. At least Celtic fans are consistent in saying that the refs sucks regardless.

Little known fact, but isn't Powe the leader of the NBA in forcing fouls per minute? So this isn't an anomaly, Powe is simply a tough guy to contain without fouling when he's energetic.

[cordobes]

Aren't they complaining about the rims anymore?

[Discoflux]

That is about as bad as it gets with refs.
Maybe Boston would have won anyway, but it would be nice to know rather than having to guess.
Thanks refs, for killing the joy of the game.  Horrible, horrible reffing. 
Fixed?  Who knows... tainted?  Definitely... just an ugly unfair game.  Congrats.

[Sweet17]

Yeah bad refs - you mean like that lack of traveling call on Vlad? Oh yeah you don't count that right? <g>

[angryguy77]

That is about as bad as it gets with refs.
Maybe Boston would have won anyway, but it would be nice to know rather than having to guess.
Thanks refs, for killing the joy of the game.  Horrible, horrible reffing. 
Fixed?  Who knows... tainted?  Definitely... just an ugly unfair game.  Congrats.

You might want to give the spurs site a visit, the way you are talking I think you can find a good support group over there.

[Bahku]

What a shock!! The Lakers making excuses?!? Who would have "thunk" it?

[FreeGreen]

There was only a 7 foul difference between the two teams.  The difference was that Boston got fouled going to the basket / shooting and LA got fouled 25 feet away on the dribble.

FT was a result of contrasting styles, not one-sidedness of calls.

[angryguy77]

Sure we had some charity, but there is a difference when calls are made and it stops momentum and when they don't. YOu guys were never realy in it after the first quarter. If these "bad" calls were made while you were making a run, then I would have a little moure sympathy. But the fact is that we played more under the rim and thats why it happend the way it did. Sur Kobe had a cheap one on him, but that was one call. It didn't change the game. We had games wher KG gets 2 quick ones and still win the game.

[BudweiserCeltic]

When Ken Mauer and Bob Delaney are calling more fouls in favor of the Celtics than other teams, it's a clear sign that the other team just didn't come to play because historically these two have done just about anything humanly possible to make games difficult for the Celts.

Awful game for the Lakers, period.

[kw10]

I have to say there were a few dodgy calls, but both ways, maybe lakers a couple more than celtics, but that didn't alter the game results.
But I do think the league would want the refs to keep this series long, so someone tell Doc, beware of refs in game 3.

[libermaniac]

It did seem to me that early on the calls were going the C's way including several ticky-tack fouls (the 2nd on Kobe among others), but the Lakers seemed to get the breaks in the second half (Fisher mugged Pierce on that steal with C's up 9, that led to Sasha's 3, and Vlad took 4-5 steps).  True  Kobe was fouled by Pierce (grabbed) with under 2 minutes to go and they missed that too.  All in all, I do think the officials favored the Celtics.  It's ok to admit it.  I'll take it ... we are up 2-0!

[Underbruin]

As a Lakers fan, I'll say here what I said in Jeff's post-game thread. Do I think the officiating was totally level? No, not really - but not so terribly biased as to be an enormous surprise, given the huge level of home court advantage that pretty much every team has enjoyed throughout the playoffs. Just as I don't think the game would have been such a blowout for the majority of the second half if called more evenly, I also don't think the Lakers go on that huge run in the 4th if the teams are closer in score. Boston noticeably let up, and the Lakers just started bombing from 3 - both of these are unlikely events in a 10-point game as opposed to a 24-point game.

Do keep in mind that, a) it's likely to swing fairly far in the Lakers' favor at Staples, and b) the Celtics enjoyed a seventeen-to-three disparity in shooting foul calls. The latter point can't entirely be explained solely by home court and aggression, considering that the Celtics were one of the more commonly-whistled teams in the league all season (top 10 in fouls committed). Even so, I think this game goes to the Cs with or without some of the more questionable calls - it just likely would have been a game with less wild swings in the lead.