In general the NBA likes to keep games close. That is the basic conspiracy. And they won't do this to 'annointed' teams, like the Cavs. That a team like the Lakers had this going for them and the Jazz still got back into most of those games should tell you how weak LA really is.
NBA fans need to learn the basic pro wrestling terms. The league is trying to "put over" the Bulls in the same way they tried to "put over" the Hawks last year.
The new rule for picking the best first round opponent is: which team is not young and "on the way up?" This used to be the best choice. Young teams are inconsistent, sloppy, foul too much, and experienced vets are more dangerous in a playoff series than they are in terms of their regular season win total. Unless they had a young Shaq or someone, a legit dominator and some vet support, the young team was always the better option.
But now the refs ignore all the sloppy fouling to help "put over" the young team. "Put over" basically means 'establish with the fans.' Meanwhile, the refs hate the Pistons and the league wants it to be Lebron's year. So they wear us down with a long series, and let the Cavs sweep Detroit. The league just would not let this series be a 4-0 or 4-1 for Boston with a 10-15 free throw advantage and 15 point end game margin for Boston every game, but that's how it should have gone down. We are playing with one hand tied behind our backs, just like last year, before you even talk about Kevin.
I still want the name of that clown who called a Brad Miller hook of Ray Allen a double foul.
Miller did the same leg move they fouled Perk out on the game before. I.e. the same thing Noah does 10 times a game because he is inexperienced and clumsy. Bulls are getting the benefit of 'playoff rules' defense and the C's have been called tight.
Watch the replay again. Tony NEVER TOUCHED HIM.
There was a tiny bit of inconsequential off-hand vs off hand contact well before the shot and before he stepped out of bounds. If the refs were consistent about the 'playoff rules' it's clearly no foul at all. If they wanted to call the ticky-tackiest violations, Gordon can't have been shooting because he stepped out of bounds before he even started the shooting motion.
