Doc,Ray,Rondo and KG calling out the refs after game 2

[33-00-32]

Time to take things into our own hands, make them count.

[gar]

Sports Nation 85% think refs cost them the game.
Wilbon, you can count on "Natural officiating swings".

Stern ruining this league.

[LarBrd33]

When in doubt...blame the refs.   That was the best game we played all playoffs and we still lost.  Guess its easier to blame the refs than to accept we aren't as good as Miami

[rondohondo]

When in doubt...blame the refs.   That was the best game we played all playoffs and we still lost.  Guess its easier to blame the refs than to accept we aren't as good as Miami

yea when they gets a 18 ft shot advantage and can clothesline other all-stars at the biggest moment of the game and not get called for it.

fouls are supposed to go up in the playoffs . Lebron and wade's go down. Lebron had 5 total fouls in a 6 game playoff series vs Indiana. How is that possible when playing another borderline all-star SF?

Lebron hasn't even gotten a foul called on him until half way through the 3rd quarter in both games vs C's....

[Celtics18]

Sports Nation 85% think refs cost them the game.
Wilbon, you can count on "Natural officiating swings".

Stern ruining this league.

That was a brutally officiated game last night, but I'm not ready to go to a place where I believe that David Stern is sitting in his evil tower, rubbing his hands together and cackling while calling out the commands on individual games and who the refs are going to help win or lose.  

For those of you who do believe that, it's hard for me to understand why you are still watching.  I stopped watching pro wrestling when I was eleven and Jimmy "Super Fly" Snooka and the Junk Yard Dogs were still prowling around.  When I found out it was fake, it kind of crushed me.  

I was furious last night.  This is the most emotional I've gotten over a basketball game since 2010, but by the light of day, I still stand where I've always stood on the refereeing; The refs can absolutely play a factor in basketball games-- and I think they played an inordinately large factor in last night's ball game--, but they are only one of the factors, and the truth is that really good or great team's can overcome that factor by staying focused and continuing to compete.

The Celtics did that last night, but it wasn't enough in the end.  I'm still feeling emotional about that game.  Half of me is miserable, and the other half of me is proud as heck of those guys.  

All that said, something's got to be done about the refereeing.  It really has to improve or the sport we love will suffer.  

[angryguy77]

When in doubt...blame the refs.   That was the best game we played all playoffs and we still lost.  Guess its easier to blame the refs than to accept we aren't as good as Miami

Yesterday we were every bit as good as Miami. We deserved that win and we battled through the refs for the vast majority of the game.  If you are so fair minded, tell me what big calls went our way last night that made the game a balanced.


I realize that some people feel better about themselves by not calling a spade a spade when it comes to officiating. It's easy to say "don't mention the refs" and appear to be the bigger man. At the end of the day, you can keep your pride and we'll keep living in reality.

What's amazing is how anyone can give the league the benefit of the doubt after Stern decided to not suspend Wade for his foul on Collison. There is an obvious bias by the league concerning it's stars, there is no denying that fact. To me, this blind faith in the league is more irrational than those who will point to a specific game and say we were taken for a ride.

[blink]

The question here, is good at what? 

Good at playing team basketball? 
Yes, I think the Celtics play better team basketball.

Good at getting bad calls at the most crucial points in the game?
Yes I think we were pretty good at that last night.  Wait, that isn't us is it?

Good at getting away with fouls, swipes across the face, feet to the groin?
No, not so much.  The heat are much 'better' at this aspect of the 'game'.

When in doubt...blame the refs.   That was the best game we played all playoffs and we still lost.  Guess its easier to blame the refs than to accept we aren't as good as Miami

[twinbree]

I feel for these guys I really do. I cannot imagine how frustrating it is to repeatedly deal with this kind of officiating. But the unfortunate truth is that with our injury woes we need the games to be officiated fairly evenly to help our chances and it's clear to me that is just not going to happen.

Is it just me or are the worst officiated games in the postseason? It's like the referees use the regular season to fine tune their technique and unleash all their tricks when the playoffs come round.

The refs erring on the side of Lebron's teams wouldn't even annoy me so much if they at least capitalized and won something. They get the red carpet rolled out and can't even make it to the finish line.

[dlpin]

When in doubt...blame the refs.   That was the best game we played all playoffs and we still lost.  Guess its easier to blame the refs than to accept we aren't as good as Miami

No, it is easier to blame the refs when an overtime game gets decided by bad calls. Anyone one of several bad calls goes a different way and the celtics win. It is as close to an objective observation as you can get.

[makaveli]

If Doc get's fined, I would go to the game with a carton box for donations, and it would go around the arena. I can't see a Celtics fan not giving a dollar or two as a gesture of protest.

[get_banners]

you know what will probably happen...the refs will favor us big-time in game 3. of course, we might not have the legs to win, anyway. and....the fact that that is likely to happen is the whole problem with the NBA. it is flat-out a joke. game 4 might be the first legitimately called game in the whole series.

[17wasEZ]

I think of it like this:

1) Lebron and Wade attack the rim more than just about anyone in the league, and the celtics are a jump shooting team. Against the heat, until Paul Pierce and Ray Allen start playing like its 2006, and rondo attacks the rim consistently like he did tonight, we're always gonna have a free thrown discrepancy.

2) superstars get calls. Lebron and Wade are two of the games biggest.

3) refs are human, and screw up calls, often in favor of the home team and superduperstars. The heat had both tonight.

I believe my 3 reasons, because believing the alternative (that there is a concerted effort on behalf of the league for the heat), just makes it unfun to watch.

1) This doesn't account for the lack of fouls called on Lebron and Wade. They play heavy minutes with an aggressive style.

2) Superstars should not get preferential treatment. I want games decided on skill, not star power.

3) I understand mistakes but it is the lack of consistency that kills me. A foul/non-foul should be a foul/non-foul for the other team/player.

After game one's technicals (the refs didn't cost us game 1) and tonight's horrible discrepancies it seems to me the NBA wants its most marketable superstars in the Finals.

1) What do you mean lack of fouls called against Lebron and Wade? They had 2 fouls called against them.....each!  As a matter of fact,  Miami had 4 of their 5 starters play 43:54 minutes or more and only 1 of them were called for more than 2 fouls. I guess they have learned how to play offense and defense without fouling.

Also, Boston was whistled for almost twice as many fouls during a game in which Miami had to claw their way back from a large deficit.

[The Rondo Show]

Absolutely horrendous officiating. 47 ft's to 28. Garbage

[LakersFan_33]

As an unbiased observer, the officiating was just horrible. Lebron absorbs fouls like a sponge. Any little bump, and there's a foul. This is nothing new, though...Heat have been getting biased calls the entire post-season - Was especially apparent in the New York series, as well.

Only silver lining is that they won't get that on the road in San Antonio.

[LarBrd33]

When in doubt...blame the refs.   That was the best game we played all playoffs and we still lost.  Guess its easier to blame the refs than to accept we aren't as good as Miami

No, it is easier to blame the refs when an overtime game gets decided by bad calls. Anyone one of several bad calls goes a different way and the celtics win. It is as close to an objective observation as you can get.

Again... the Celtics have won countless games that other teams have blamed on officiating.  I'm not going to sink to that poor sport level.  What are you guys crying about?  Bron going to the free throw line and Pierce fouling out?  Yeah... we held Bron to 35% shooting.  The dude is a freight train.  Pierce is playing with a sprained MCL.  Why is it so shocking that he'd get a lot of fouls on that beast?  Some of those were blatant and obvious fouls.  Guys tied him up before he even crossed half court.  Get over it.  There are bad calls and there are good calls.  It goes both ways.  You can't accept that the Celtics stormed back 24 points and beat the Lakers in 08 (in a game were were getting away with total murder) and then cry about us getting beaten in a close game against Miami in a series we are more than likely going to lose anyway.  

Last night was the best game the Celtics have played all playoffs.  Just a total best case scenario.  The best the offense can possibly look given our current injury condition.  Miami won.  That's all.  That was likely our 1 game to steal in this series and we just didn't have enough to get it done.  Is what it is.  That was a heck of an effort by Rondo and the Celtics last night.