Refs for Game 5

[P2]

Dick Bavetta
Scott Foster
Ken Mauer

We had Bavetta and Foster in Game 1, and Mauer in Game 2. So what do you think?

[banner17]

Bavetta we are 3-1
Foster we are 2-1
Mauer we are 3-0

I can live with these refs.

LETS GO C'S!

[Hrvoje]

We shouldn't care about officials. Anyway, good stats for us. More so if we had Barkley in the squad, having Bevetta as ref would be a huge advantage for us

[wdleehi]

I think if the Celtics play their game, it doesn't matter who the officials are.

[TrueGreen]

Doc has worked with the team all year to avoid confrontations with refs and to just play the game. Doc will handle the refs. During this series, for the most part, the players have stayed focus on not talking. The refs throughout the series seem to be letting the players play and it's been very consistent on both ends. I don't think the refs will impact this game.

[Chris]

I just am amazed at the arrogance of the NBA.  Putting Bavetta on another elimination game after all of the accusations this week.  They just don't care one bit at the perception of their fans.  If the Lakers win this, and Bavetta makes a couple bad calls against the C's, this will just be adding more fuel to the fire.

[BrickJames]

I just am amazed at the arrogance of the NBA.  Putting Bavetta on another elimination game after all of the accusations this week.  They just don't care one bit at the perception of their fans.  If the Lakers win this, and Bavetta makes a couple bad calls against the C's, this will just be adding more fuel to the fire.

And when the Celtics win, I bet the Faker Fans are going to claim the league wanted Boston to win.  Yeah, and the refs orchestrated the 24 point comeback too. 

[Chris]

I just am amazed at the arrogance of the NBA.  Putting Bavetta on another elimination game after all of the accusations this week.  They just don't care one bit at the perception of their fans.  If the Lakers win this, and Bavetta makes a couple bad calls against the C's, this will just be adding more fuel to the fire.

And when the Celtics win, I bet the Faker Fans are going to claim the league wanted Boston to win.  Yeah, and the refs orchestrated the 24 point comeback too. 

They will probably claim that the league fixed it so the C's win, in order to "prove" that they don't fix games.

Having Bavetta in there is inexcusable.  And I actually believe that Bavetta is a decent ref, and hasn't fixed anything...but its all about perception, and the league is really rolling the dice with having this blow up even more.

[fan33]

I think what we've been seeing and will continue to see, will be an effort by the officials not to interject themselves into the game, with stopping play etc, by letting the boys play and only the most egregous of fouls being called. Which favors the Eastern defensive style of ball play, IMO...

Note to Lakers & Shasha, "Leg Scissors" will still be called

[orrzor]

Wouldn't purposefully not having Bavetta there be an admission that Bavetta could be guilty? Why should the NBA pay credence to what Donaghy says until there is solid evidence? Innocent until proven guilty, no matter how many crappy games he's officiated.

[biggs1221]

Not that this means anything in regards to todays game, but. . .


Wasn't Kenny Mauer the official that Tommy Heinsohn blasted out after the 2002 game where Pierce broke his 2 front teeth?  I could be wrong, so feel free to correct me if I am.  But, either way I know I can hear Tommy's voice speaking of Kenny Mauer routinely in an unfavorable manner.

[Fan from VT]

Doc has worked with the team all year to avoid confrontations with refs and to just play the game. Doc will handle the refs. During this series, for the most part, the players have stayed focus on not talking. The refs throughout the series seem to be letting the players play and it's been very consistent on both ends. I don't think the refs will impact this game.

i have to agree. i have really liked how little complaining the celtics have done this year, especially when contrasted with the series vs. detroit and l.a., two teams whose players seem to have something to complain about after every possession.

[cdif911]

they should have Stern, Ainge and Kupchack ref the game...like in WWF when they bring in special guest referees...that'd be entertainment

[nickagneta]

How could the commissioner of the league put a referee that the federal authorities are asking questions about for fixing games into an NBA Finals game the same week the stuff hit the fan? It's the biggest lose-lose situation on earth.

Celts win, half the country says the fix was in to have the Celtics win. Celts lose and the other half of the country says the fix was in to extend the series for more revenue and increased exposure.

This is just an idiotic, arrogant, pompous move by the commissioner telling all that watch and care that he really is all about the Benjamins and doesn't care about the appearance and integrity his league promotes or shows. As long as the fans are in the stands, the jerseys are selling in the stores and the sponsors are buying commercial airtime so that the networks fork over barrels of cash to the league that's all that matters.

Perception be [dang]ed, he has the best entertainment out there and he doesn't care if the layman thinks it is WWE entertainment or pure sports cometition entertainment. Pay the price to watch and wear is all that matters in his book.

I can't blame him that is his job, but god help him if authorities find out any of Donaghy's allegations are true. Stern wouldn't probably be to thrilled about sharing a cell with a large man doing life without any conjudgal visits.

[fairweatherfan]

How could the commissioner of the league put a referee that the federal authorities are asking questions about for fixing games into an NBA Finals game the same week the stuff hit the fan? It's the biggest lose-lose situation on earth.

Celts win, half the country says the fix was in to have the Celtics win. Celts lose and the other half of the country says the fix was in to extend the series for more revenue and increased exposure.

This is just an idiotic, arrogant, pompous move by the commissioner telling all that watch and care that he really is all about the Benjamins and doesn't care about the appearance and integrity his league promotes or shows. As long as the fans are in the stands, the jerseys are selling in the stores and the sponsors are buying commercial airtime so that the networks fork over barrels of cash to the league that's all that matters.

Perception be [dang]ed, he has the best entertainment out there and he doesn't care if the layman thinks it is WWE entertainment or pure sports cometition entertainment. Pay the price to watch and wear is all that matters in his book.

I can't blame him that is his job, but god help him if authorities find out any of Donaghy's allegations are true. Stern wouldn't probably be to thrilled about sharing a cell with a large man doing life without any conjudgal visits.

I agree, especially after several commentators, including Simmons, specifically predicted Bavetta would ref Game 5 if one team was up 3-1.  Bavetta has been involved in literally around 10 major playoff games in just the past decade with very very questionable officiating, much of it attributable to him.  Here's one of the lesser-noted games where Bavetta makes a string of awful late-game calls that don't affect the winner, but definitely do affect the spread: http://theworldofisaac.blogspot.com/2008/06/evidence-of-dick-bavetta-cheating.html

Whether Bavetta is crooked or not, and whether he winds up affecting the game or not, to throw him out there in a game like this is absolutely idiotic on the league's part.  David Stern's arrogance really knows no bounds, and it's going to continue to put attention on "is the league/refs rigging things?" instead of the great season and marquee Finals matchup that's going on.