Today's Official Report 5/3

[Kwhit10]

This season the Cavs have never lost with Crawford as ref....

[liam]

Good report.
TP

[liam]

This season the Cavs have never lost with Crawford as ref....

Ouch!

[j804]

Good find FL...where'd you find this stuff?

I put together the reports using this site http://www.nbastuffer.com/referee_stats for stats.

This site  http://www.basketball-refs.com/ for profiles

And then do a google search for any controversy involving the given refs. 

TP FL for the work, as well as all the daily links on the main blog night in and night out. Its definitely appreciated.

[Greenbean]

I am so nervous with these guys. It could get out of hand very quickly if the game is as physical as I expect it to be. Let's just hope cooler heads prevail. We cant weather another big suspension in this series.

[Kwhit10]

Here is the Cavs beat report for those interested.

By Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer
May 03, 2010, 11:58AM

CLEVELAND -- Pregame from The Q:

Projected starting lineups

Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins

Cavs: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, LeBron James, Antawn Jamison, Shaquille O'Neal

Officials

Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Ed Malloy.

Note that the Cavs are unbeaten with Crawford working this season. Though, with 61 wins, they had excellent records with lots of officials. Also Bavetta and Malloy usually like to call charges while Crawford, in the past, allows more physical defense.

• Mike Brown said after shootaround that the plan will be to keep Williams guarding Rondo in the early going. In the second half on Saturday, Williams took Rondo some but mostly it was Parker. The Cavs also used Jamario Moon on Rondo. The idea is that the length may get in the way of Rondo's passing lanes and they may limit his floater's effectiveness.

Doc Rivers said today that he likes the Rondo-Parker matchup. As he should, Rondo can drive right around Parker and Moon. Also, the shorter defender on Ray Allen will make it easier for Allen to catch-and-shoot. However, the Cavs will mix it up and they will also concede that Rondo is getting in the paint. It is what he does when he gets in there that they are now trying to deal with. Call it damage control. So look for a mix on Rondo tonight but lots of Parker.

• The Celtics attacked the 1-on-1 matchup of Garnett vs. Jamison in Game 1. The Celtics ran "punch," their basic post play for Garnett, around 15 times in Game 1. Garnett also took 20 shots. Look for Boston to go back to that set again but this time for Garnett to look to pass out of it more if the Cavs bring help. He was perhaps a little too focused on scoring for the Celtics' offense in Game 1.

• Brown said that one of the clips the Cavs sent to the league after Game 1 -- teams send in clips all the time, especially after playoff games -- was the Shaquille O'Neal hard foul on Rondo. Brown didn't say which hard foul -- Shaq sent Rondo to the deck twice -- but the question was about the foul with four minutes left. Anyway, Brown said he felt O'Neal didn't commit a foul on the play and had gone straight up. Perhaps he was confusing the two, Shaq may have done that in the second quarter but the fourth quarter hit was a foul. But obviously the sides are already working the officials.

[incoherent]

Even the Cavs write about how they are unbeatable with this ref at the helm... great.

[vinnie]

I just watch the games. Worrying about stuff like ref stats is too much thinking for me.