Shaq's BLATANT off. goaltending with 1:01 left

[Roy Hobbs]

I thought it was goal-tending, as well, but that wasn't the most egregious call made by the officials last night.  I had a much bigger problem with the offensive foul call, which may have been the worst call on an alleged charge that I've ever seen.

KG getting called for an offensive foul because his defender pushed into him was pretty bad, too.

[Mike-Dub]

I thought it was goal-tending, as well, but that wasn't the most egregious call made by the officials last night.  I had a much bigger problem with the offensive foul call, which may have been the worst call on an alleged charge that I've ever seen.

KG getting called for an offensive foul because his defender pushed into him was pretty bad, too.

Those two calls were atrocious.

[MaxwellSmart86]

Yeah, KG was just bracing himself for Mo Williams crashing into him...offensive foul---what a joke--and Rondo's too....cost us like 5 points...then the Goaltend...Plus KG and Pierce get whacked in the 4th,going to the basket---NO CALLS...Whacked out Refs....cost us 10 points easily.

[pearljammer10]

Pearljammer,

Did you even see the replay?  Do you know what a goal tend is?

Smitty77

Really? You have nothing better to do than insult my basketball intelligence? Get a life...

It wasn't a goal tend because there was no official that called it a goal tend. So if you'd like to get certified and collect the qualifications necessary to ref an NBA game, go ahead. Until then, your whining over a "missed" call is never going to get you anywhere. It happened, its done, thats what the ref saw, he can't change it. Move on and stop being a ****.

[liam]

Yeah, KG was just bracing himself for Mo Williams crashing into him...offensive foul---what a joke--and Rondo's too....cost us like 5 points...then the Goaltend...Plus KG and Pierce get whacked in the 4th,going to the basket---NO CALLS...Whacked out Refs....cost us 10 points easily.

Too true!
TP

[fairweatherfan]

I'd encourage everyone who thinks it was a goaltend to check out SamuelAdams' link from the rulebook - I was dead wrong about what the criteria are and it sounds like a lot of people here are too.

[jdpapa3]

I'd encourage everyone who thinks it was a goaltend to check out SamuelAdams' link from the rulebook - I was dead wrong about what the criteria are and it sounds like a lot of people here are too.

I see what you mean from that link, but they have conflicting information. From the rules:

Once the ball is on or directly above the rim, a defender can not touch the ball. If the ball is rolling on top of the rim, a defender can not touch the ball or the rim. If an offensive player touches the ball in any of the above circumstances, basket interference shall be riled and no points can be scored

[fairweatherfan]

I'd encourage everyone who thinks it was a goaltend to check out SamuelAdams' link from the rulebook - I was dead wrong about what the criteria are and it sounds like a lot of people here are too.

I see what you mean from that link, but they have conflicting information. From the rules:

Once the ball is on or directly above the rim, a defender can not touch the ball. If the ball is rolling on top of the rim, a defender can not touch the ball or the rim. If an offensive player touches the ball in any of the above circumstances, basket interference shall be riled and no points can be scored

I agree this sounds ambiguous, but the next sentence after your quote is "Once the ball rolls to the outside of the rim, the shot is over and anyone can touch the ball."  So the "above the rim" part only applies to the shot, which is deemed over once the ball is moving off the rim with no chance to score.

On Shaq's shot, the ball was still partly over the rim, but it wasn't rolling on the rim, and was clearly on the outside of it with no chance to score.  So the shot was over and a tap is legal.  The video example with Diop is pretty similar - the ball's still partly over the rim but no longer has a chance to go in.

I hate to defend a play that cost us, but it seems consistent with the rules.  I think the refs screwed up a few calls last night but that wasn't one of them.

[jdpapa3]

Yea, I hear you fwf and I was just about to edit my post to add that last line in because I admittedly didn't read it at first, but that part needs to be eliminated because of how ambiguous it is. I'm not just saying it because of last night. It's just one of those things that pretty much has to be a guesstimate.

A rim is about an inch thick and referees are supposed to judge whether it is on the outside or inside of that? Nearly impossible to the naked eye on a close call looking from under 6 feet.

[MaxwellSmart86]

There were OTHER calls too that we all seem to be forgetting:

Hickson steps OUT OF BOUNDS on a putback basket under the hoop--NO CALL--and EVERY Celtic player (and bench) screamed and pointed to it--NOPE! This was during the Cavs big run--so the refs look the other way.

LeBron hits the ball out of bounds under under the basket---CAVS BALL-!....even Reggie says, THAT was off LeBron!

it seemed,whenever in doubt--Call it against the Celtics...nice game planning by the NBA.

The only foul we got going to the basket in the 2nd half (except the destroying of Rondo)--was on TA's drive...of course both Mo Williams and LeBron were literally UP IN ARMS on that one-!

[MaxwellSmart86]

and I specifically remember coming here and posting that we got ALL THE CALLS after one of the Miami games---game 2 I think.

[celticinorlando]

cant allow 36 point quarters vs good teams. boston still has no killer instinct and can't finish gmes...specifically on the defensive end

[Smitty77]

Hey CelticsinOrlando,

I might agree with you about the killer instinct thing.  But, can you give me that it is hard to stop a rally when the home team is allowed to step out of bounds BEFORE a put back??  You can't stop a run when ALL the calls are going against you.

I really don't think it is very fair to call that a lack of killer instinct, even though this team does seem to lack that.

Smitty77

[celticinorlando]

Hey CelticsinOrlando,

I might agree with you about the killer instinct thing.  But, can you give me that it is hard to stop a rally when the home team is allowed to step out of bounds BEFORE a put back??  You can't stop a run when ALL the calls are going against you.

I really don't think it is very fair to call that a lack of killer instinct, even though this team does seem to lack that.

Smitty77

i agree it was goaltending..i agree boston didn't get a lot of calls. i am just basing my post on what the celtics said after the game. they said they stopped being agressive. they said they stopped attacking and allowed the Cavs to get too comfortable. they have to knock them out right out of the lockerroom. i realize it is hard to stop a rally on the road...but there were some horrible turnovers by boston in the second half...poor shot selection and the defense was not up to snuff. i have zero complaints about the first half. i would just like to see that type of effort sustained for the game.

yesterday's game was there for the taking.i mean it was gift wrapped. boston isn't going to get another game in cleveland that was so winnable. they really needed to take it. i am concerned that game 2 the cavs will just come out and kill the celtics...

[Neurotic Guy]

Immediately after the play I wrote in the gsme thread that I thought it was goaltending.  I am not certain, given the rules printed here, that it actually was goaltending -- but, what surprised me is that the announcers didn't seem to consider it.  Unless I somehow missed this in the aftermath, I never heard mention of it.  It was at least very close to being a goaltend if not one.