You guys are classy fans

[luckthefakers]

and classy fans don't complain about the refs.  But I'm not classy.  I tell it like it is and that game was straight up BS.  We were robbed of the chance to see a greatness. 

THIS IS NOT SAYING THE REFS GAVE THE LAKERS THE TITLE!

The game was called great for three quarters.  Both teams were allowed to play and they were particularly letting all the bigs muscle around so they would be available in the 4th (this applied to KG, Rasheed, and Gasol particularly).  I was impressed with old, blind Joey who normally likes to be the star of the show.

The C's had a big lead and the Lakers whittled it down and I was nervous with only a 4 point lead heading the 4th.  The Lakers could legitimately win this thing and that would be sad, but perfectly fine.  I did not expect to see the quarter that ensued. 

WHY DID THE REFS CHANGE UP THE GAME PLAN?

Suddenly the 4th was ticky-tack fest.  The C's were in the penalty what, two minutes into the quarter?  And on the worst kinds of calls-- LATE WHISTLES.  They let Gasol flop a bit and get some calls.  Kobe suddenly couldn't be breathed on.  And suddenly we had a FT parade.  This is not what we want to see in a game 7 between the two greatest franchises in the NBA.  We were deprived of the great moments, the times when we get to see who the heroes and the goats are.  None of this happened because very possession was TWEET TWEET! 

WHY? 

Just calling it this way was bad enough but the refs aggravated the situation by letting more things go when the C's had the ball.  Pierce drove the middle and no whistle.  I can live with that-- that's actually how I prefer the games to be-- but not when they are calling EVERYTHING on the other end.  This is not basketball! 

We were deprived as fans of the opportunity to see a historic finish.  I wanted to see the Lakers, down by one, Kobe with the chance to win it in the waning seconds.  Or Pierce going for the three and the win.  Instead we had a quarter where the winning team made all of six buckets and 20+ FTs and we may as well have been watching golf.

I hope Stern looks at this (he won't) and uses this as an opportunity to clean house of all of the diva refs who just can't help making the show about them.

[connerhenry43]

the boston celtics are the 2010 nba champions. we all saw it. they were the better team tonight. both teams played heard and played shaky offense, but great defense.

the refs in the fourth willed the lakers to victory. this was a joke.

[rjsuperfly66]

Stop Whining.

[luckthefakers]

Stop Whining.

Open your eyes.  And I didn't say the C's lost because of the refs.  Joey & co. just deprived us of an opportunity to see a real basketball game.

[Q_FBE]

I suppose the Celtics not having anything left in the 4th qtr tank had nothing to with it. 

The referees did change the tact a bit but I don't think that changed the outcome.

[rjsuperfly66]

Stop Whining.

Open your eyes.  And I didn't say the C's lost because of the refs.  Joey & co. just deprived us of an opportunity to see a real basketball game.

Wasn't to you but the guy above you saying that Boston was the real champs and the refs willed the team to victory.

[mahonedog88]

And the fact that the rebounding winner wins the game still held up.

Rebounding was horrendous tonight.  23 offensive rebounds? Like...are you serious?

You can't compete with that.  They were able to sorta cover it up through the first three quarters but it just caught up to them.  Safe to say...this team needs rebounding help in the offseason.

[luckthefakers]

We will never know.  I'll never understand why the NBA would put Joey Crawford in for this game, especially since he had already reffed two previous (and a handful of the 12 Finals refs had only done one game).  You knew he was just dying to get his grimy handprints all over the game and he did just that.  It was obvious the C's were benefitting from the "let em play" style (which also makes for better basketball) so maybe they had to change it up.  I just don't know.  I feel robbed.

There is a good chance we'll never see a game 7 between these two franchises again in our lifetimes.  And this one had the makings of a classic until the refs had to ruin it.

[Bynum4MVP]

Saying the refs gave the Lakers a win this year wouldn't be any different than saying the refs gave the Celtics the Championship in 2008.

I don't dwell on the refs; both teams had a chance to take the win if they wanted it bad enough.  The Celtics wanted it more in 2008, the Lakers wanted it more in Game 7 this year.

[luckthefakers]

And the fact that the rebounding winner wins the game still held up.

Rebounding was horrendous tonight.  23 offensive rebounds? Like...are you serious?

You can't compete with that.  They were able to sorta cover it up through the first three quarters but it just caught up to them.  Safe to say...this team needs rebounding help in the offseason.

But that differential was all in the 1st three quarters.  And there are two reasons for that (aside from the obvious of the Lakers being bigger):

1) More missed shots = more offensive rebounds, duh
2) In a loosely called game, you can get away with over the backs for offensive rebounds, which the Lakers did a lot of.  No problem, as long as the refs are consistent.  

The biggest discrepancy in this game is not the rebounds, it is the FTs.  And it shouldn't be that way, certainly not in a championship game.  The C's basically outplayed the Lakers across the board, and even outshot them in the 4th where everyone says they choked.  It was ticky-tack BS that got the Lakers the win, and that is a shame.  Why not let them play and see who legitimately comes out on top?  Isn't that what all the fans, Lakers' and Celtics' alike, wanted to see?

Also, Kobe is a complete fraud, the worst Finals MVP ever.  6-24 and 4TO in the deciding game, what a joke.  The Lakers shoot 32% and make six FGs in the 4th and win.  Come on.  This is not a product I'm buying anymore.

[marshall07]

you are absolutely right... refs changed the game...

but... if we would have grabbed A FEW [dang] STINKIN REBOUNDS!!! it woudn't have been in their hands...  

step 1)  position yourself under basket...
step 2)  box out opposing player
step 3) grab the [dang] ball...

we didnt even make it to step 1... [dang]  I missed perkins tonight...

[luckthefakers]

Saying the refs gave the Lakers a win this year wouldn't be any different than saying the refs gave the Celtics the Championship in 2008.

I don't dwell on the refs; both teams had a chance to take the win if they wanted it bad enough.  The Celtics wanted it more in 2008, the Lakers wanted it more in Game 7 this year.

Of course you don't dwell on the refs-- they are always on your side!

The C's beat the Lakers by 40 in '08.  They covered the spread in EVERY game.  That was a one-sided series.  This was a hotly contested series between two even teams, and it came down to bogus FTs.  I'm sure you're satisfied with the victory, but it could, and should, have been decided more legitimately.

[rjsuperfly66]

We will never know.  I'll never understand why the NBA would put Joey Crawford in for this game, especially since he had already reffed two previous (and a handful of the 12 Finals refs had only done one game).  You knew he was just dying to get his grimy handprints all over the game and he did just that.  It was obvious the C's were benefitting from the "let em play" style (which also makes for better basketball) so maybe they had to change it up.  I just don't know.  I feel robbed.

There is a good chance we'll never see a game 7 between these two franchises again in our lifetimes.  And this one had the makings of a classic until the refs had to ruin it.

You really don't think game changed from mid-third through remainder of game?

Lakers went from jump-shooting team riding cold-hand of Kobe, to attack with Pau.  When he attacked, team in general began to attack.  Artest was huge.  When a team gets 50468435 offensive rebounds, they are usually going to draw lots of contact under hoop, whether teams trying to bull-doze them out of the way, or hacking on the put-back.  Thats what killed Celtics down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Celtics still remained on perimeter and chucked up shots.  No post game at all in 4th quarter.  Just brick after brick.  Ray was the only one to semi-attack and he got to the foul line what, 6 times in the quarter?

[snowball]

We will never know.  I'll never understand why the NBA would put Joey Crawford in for this game, especially since he had already reffed two previous (and a handful of the 12 Finals refs had only done one game).  You knew he was just dying to get his grimy handprints all over the game and he did just that.  It was obvious the C's were benefitting from the "let em play" style (which also makes for better basketball) so maybe they had to change it up.  I just don't know.  I feel robbed.

There is a good chance we'll never see a game 7 between these two franchises again in our lifetimes.  And this one had the makings of a classic until the refs had to ruin it.

The game was fixed. They even tried to fix a handful of other games the Celtics won this playoffs, with Cavs and Magic.
Someday something should be done about this, people are really starting to see through the lies, and false veneer of sport.

[luckthefakers]

You really don't think game changed from mid-third through remainder of game?

Lakers went from jump-shooting team riding cold-hand of Kobe, to attack with Pau.  When he attacked, team in general began to attack.  Artest was huge.  When a team gets 50468435 offensive rebounds, they are usually going to draw lots of contact under hoop, whether teams trying to bull-doze them out of the way, or hacking on the put-back.  Thats what killed Celtics down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Celtics still remained on perimeter and chucked up shots.  No post game at all in 4th quarter.  Just brick after brick.  Ray was the only one to semi-attack and he got to the foul line what, 6 times in the quarter?

No, I don't think the game changed at all, outside of the refs suddenly calling a lot of ticky-tack stuff (mostly for the Lakers but they had a few cheap calls for the Celtics too).  Pierce attacked, no whistle.  KG got hacked twice, no whistle.  Meanwhile Kobe gets breathed on, tweet tweet.  Pau loses the ball on a semi-flop, Crawford WAITs, and then blows the whistle.. what?  Kobe plows over two guys, blocking foul.  Gasol travels.. and then they hold their whistle LOL.  The bottom line is they were letting all of this stuff go in the first three quarters and all of sudden the gameplan changes.  Why?

The Celtics actually shot better than the Lakers in the 4th BTW.  The only thing the Lakers did better was draw fouls.  It wasn't even rebounds.