This Series Was Fixed!!

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Games can easily be influenced by officiating, and there's no doubt some games favor certain teams.

But this game wasn't fixed, we gave it away in the last seven minutes, by abandoning everything we had run successfully in the first three quarters.

this is what is very troubling to me. we blow too many leads. why do we stop doing what was working? or did we? How in the hell did we hang in there and even have an 11 point lead then commit suicide? we kill ourselves it seems. who is at fault? DOC RIVERS? he is the coach and assumes all responsibility at the end whether we like it or not.

[antapolar]

Our team had too many chances to close this out and didn't or couldn't. Were they out of gas? probably, were they out-played? looked that way. So I don't feel there is a blatant FIX.

However, that being said, it still never cease to amazes me that one player can shoot more FT than a whole entire team. Sure that player can be athletic, knows how to go to the basket, knows how to fake and draw fouls but more than an ENTIRE team, now come on?

That's why I agree with few of the previous post. Was the game fixed? probably not... was bron getting ridiculous biased treatment? well stats speak for itself.

I'm just proud that Cs were able to hang on until the 4th quarter, and until the heat finally catch fire on their own. 

[Vermont Green]

First, Miami is the better team or collection of individual talent, however you want to word it.  They were better even before Bosh came back but with Bosh in the mix, we cannot match their overall collective talent.  The Celtics were tough and gritty and gave Miami more than anyone expected but we are not as good as Miami.

As for the conspiracy/refs carrying out the mission of the NBA theory, there is no doubt that the shine from the stars does get into the refs eyes and imapacts calls.  The bigger the star, the bigger the shine, the more calls go your way.  Reputation is a factor too.  If you have a reputation as a good defender, you get more charge calls.  If you have a reputation as a stiff (cough cough Steisma) you get called anytime you are anywhere near contact.  I don't like this especially when it goes against the Cs but it is there, no doubt.

Conceding that though is still a long way though from accepting the wizard behind the curtian predeciding how everything is going to go theory.  Come on, really.  Let's be good sports and just accept we lost without blaming the refs/NBA.

[The One]

No.  It wasn't.

[triple-doublerr]

I don't know how much more definitively and clearly the HEAT could have been the better team here.  If everything is "fixed" to help LeBron, why do we have 1 championship and he has zero?  Was it fixed in 2008?

I would be much more willing to believe the anti-LeBron conspiracy theories if they made sense.

Yes the NBA is "fixed" to help get LBJ a ring and has been ever since they started the ridiculous Kobe or LeBron campaign. The fact that Orlando took care of the Cavs that year or that the Celtics did leading up to his departure is not evidence to the contrary, it simply means that the other team was able to withstand it. Refs can't make the ball go in the basket for any particular team which is why the NBA's desired outcome is not always guaranteed or achieved.

In 2008 how many series went 7 games for the Celtics leading up to the finals? That Cavs team had the same "crap" coach & "crap" teammates that get thrown under the bus as scapegoats in order for LBJ to maintain this air of superiority as a player, right? We had to scrap & claw through a 7 game series with them & then do the same against crap calls & non-calls against the Lakers in order to get our championship!!!....Yet somehow the argument is that the NBA must've been fixed in our favor then, give me a break  

Our failure to withstand it 4 out of 7 games this season is not an indication of Miami being the better team. We had to work 10 times harder just to get on an even playing field & unlike in 2008 we fell short. Maybe if we were a bit younger & healthier (like in 2008), maybe if our bench had been more developed, maybe if the ball fell into the basket when we needed it to most, etc,etc.. we would've won & maybe not. We didn't get the opportunity to see for 7 complete games of officiating that wasn't swayed in the Heat's favor what the outcome could've been & that is & what always will be the problem with the topic of FixedBA.

[GreenFaith1819]

I don't think the series was fixed.

IMO, I believe that some of the officiating could've been better throughout the playoffs, but for the most part it was acceptable.