How can a game be called evenly but completely effect the outcome of a game?

[nickagneta]

Well, we almost saw how tonight.

We didn't, but we almost did. We lost tonight because of a lack of offense and lack of defense and a lack of effort and a lack of focus. let me make that clear from the start. The Celtics players lost this game and the Lakers players won it.

But what we definitely saw in the first half and for part of the third quarter was a completely evenly called game being called ridiculously tight, that definitely swung the game completely in one team's favor and out of another team's favor.

By calling the game extra tight with a lot of non shooting fouls and concentrating some of those calls on certain players, the refs completely took the Celtics out of their game. If Ray Allen is going to be sitting down riding pine in foul trouble for over 9 minutes of the third and first quarters and Tony Allen has to play extended minutes with the starting unit, the Celtics are at a clear disadvantage.

If then Tony Allen is called for fast fouls and is put in foul trouble quickly due to more extremely ticky tack fouls, the Celtics are now reaching into their 10th and 11th men on the depth chart to try to win playoff games.

Once players see that the game is going to be called a certain way, the Celtics then have to back off their aggressive contact driven defensive style and that plays into the hands of the Lakers length because if the Celtics can't be physical so that they can move the Lakers off their spots for fear of getting fouls, the Lakers athleticism and length in the post will start to show itself.

That is pretty much what happened for long periods of the most important parts of this game.

It's no excuse for this loss as the Celtics just got outplayed, plain and simple. KG and Rondo look hurt. Ray due to the above mentioned foul trouble and way the game was called never got into any type of rhythm. Paul put up numbers but only kept the Celtics in the game and never did anything to help them win the game. And the bench played 69 total minutes and except for about 12 good minutes from Rasheed, was putrid.

But, if the officials call the series the exact same way the game was called for the first 30 minutes or so, the Lakers will end this in 4 or 5 games. It will be good by the book officiating. It will be called evenly on both sides. And, it will definitely play to the Lakers advantage.

[GranTur]

Officiating had nothing to do with the outcome of this game.

The Celtics just got outplayed from start to finish. We had no answer for the Lakers' ball movement and dribble penetration.

[rjsuperfly66]

The Celtics would have lost regardless tonight.

However, I do believe it was hard to keep it close, when every time Kobe goes iso, a little tap is a foul.  If every game is called like this, Ray Ray will avg 15 mins per game if he is lucky. 

I imagine we will see a more lenient officiating crew for Game 2.  Not many games called this tight.  If they refs let them play more, that plays into the Celtics advantage for sure.  A tick tack game plays towards the Lakers favor in my opinion.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

I agree. Just rough out there. Ray could never get into this game. Too many ticky tack fouls on both sides and unfortunately the player it effected most was Ray. It is hard for our offense to get going, especially in a game being called like this, without Ray being out there. He is the guy who gives our offense the most motion, the guy whose game could potentially benefit from a game being called like this but he was absolutely taken out of this game by the tightness it was being called with. Oh well.

Hopefully the refs let them play a little bit more, on both ends, for both teams. It just takes away from the game to call it so tight. Doesn't let the teams do what it is they do, doesn't allow the game to develop its natural rhythm.

For those who think this is blaming the refs for the loss, read more carefully, it isn't. It is saying that they refs effected the game for both teams. It didn't decide the game but it surely effected the game.

[vl819]

Officiating had nothing to do with the outcome of this game.

The Celtics just got outplayed from start to finish. We had no answer for the Lakers' ball movement and dribble penetration.

Mr. Stern, is that you?

[FallGuy]

For the casual fan, an abominable game to watch.

A few friends of mine who don't usually watch tuned in tonight and hated it because of all the whistles.

A classic non-classic.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

Officiating had nothing to do with the outcome of this game.

The Celtics just got outplayed from start to finish. We had no answer for the Lakers' ball movement and dribble penetration.

Read more carefully. Nick didn't say that. That is in the title of the post. Come on. He simply said that the way the game was called effected how the game was played. It says in the subject it was called evenly. No one here is blaming the refs. Merely saying that the way the game was called had a significant effect on the rhythm and flow of the game, detrimentally I would say. For both teams. Jeez...

[Roy Hobbs]

Officiating had nothing to do with the outcome of this game.

I disagree (and agree with nick's post, which was a very thoughtful one).

We may not be able to claim bias, but officiating absolutely *did* have something to do with this game.  With an officiating crew that didn't call so many touch fouls, Ray would have seen more minutes, and he could have exploited his offensive matchup.  This would have opened up space for Rondo, Pierce, or both.

Of course, I'm not sure what we take away from that, other than a lesson about how officials can influence a game even when it's called evenly.  However, the officiating style absolutely was a big factor in this game.  A closely called series favors the Lakers; one where the teams are allowed to play a bit more physically favors us.

[luckthefakers]

This game was not called evenly... not even close.  While in general the refs were calling ticky tack touch fouls on both sides, they were completely ignoring the numerous fouls by Bynum, Gasol, and Odom during rebounding scrums.  That gave the Lakers a huge advantage.  I'm all in favor of letting those kinds of fouls go, but you can't have it both ways.

The problem with the Finals is you get the worst crop of refs because they are the ones with the most seniority (derives from same root as 'senility').  Is it really surprising that 70yo men make so many bad calls in a sport governed by split-second reactions?  These guys need to be put out to pasture.

[vinnie]

This game was not called evenly... not even close.  While in general the refs were calling ticky tack touch fouls on both sides, they were completely ignoring the numerous fouls by Bynum, Gasol, and Odom during rebounding scrums.  That gave the Lakers a huge advantage.  I'm all in favor of letting those kinds of fouls go, but you can't have it both ways.

The problem with the Finals is you get the worst crop of refs because they are the ones with the most seniority (derives from same root as 'senility').  Is it really surprising that 70yo men make so many bad calls in a sport governed by split-second reactions?  These guys need to be put out to pasture.

The game was absolutely called evenly. Simply, there were too many fouls called and no flow to the game. The Celtics would have lost tonight if there were no refs. They were pretty much dominated in every phase of the game and outhustled.

[PosImpos]

Officiating had nothing to do with the outcome of this game.

The Celtics just got outplayed from start to finish. We had no answer for the Lakers' ball movement and dribble penetration.

Mr. Stern, is that you?

He's completely right.  The Celtics need to find ways to win regardless of how the game is being called.  They didn't do it tonight.  At all.

If the Lakers had a list of things they wanted to accomplish tonight, they accomplished pretty much all of them.

If the Celtics had such a list, they accomplished pretty much none of their objectives.

The Lakers were the better team tonight, in execution and in effort.  It was only a 13 point game, but it really wasn't close in any sense of the word.

[LB3533]

I don't hold the refs responsible for anything relating to the Laker's win & the Celtics loss.

If you want Ray to guard Kobe 1 on 1, you're going to expect some foul trouble, sooner or later.

We have to guard Kobe with multiple looks and multiple defenders.

We have to let someone else beat us, because Kobe fuels his teammates, if we can curtail Kobe and let his teammates shoot the ball with pressure...we'll have a better chance.

[rjsuperfly66]

I happened to see plenty of silly touch fouls on the Lakers in the third quarter... The Artest butt foul, the mysterious Fisher call on Allen, etc.

Officiating might not have been perfect, but at worst it was 55/45.

Don't think it swings the game.

[GranTur]

Not taking responsibility for playing horrible defense will lead to a game 2 loss.

No excuses...gotta play better. Officials had nothing to do with it.

[MaxwellSmart86]

The Lakers played harder---and their fouls were harder---our fouls were Pansy-like...If you're gonna get called for a foul--Knock them Down or something.