Nothing irritates me more than a poorly officiated NBA game. While single calls in NFL games might have more impact on a given outcome, the overall pacing of a basketball game can be controlled by the actions of the referees. And when there is a difference of 28 free throws attempted when comparing the Celtics and Lakers, one team might be getting screwed. Do I think that there is some conspiracy to have the Celtics win the first 2 games before flying to L.A? No! Are the referees being persuaded by the fans at certain arenas? Absolutely. Even though I love to watch the Lakers lose, especially on the grandest of stages, it angers me to see it with the aid of the little men in grey. It will probably anger me again as the series moves to L.A. and the refs take a one sided approach to the team in yellow and purple. It is so sad that the incredible game had by Leon Powe (Oakland Tech alum) was ruined by the overshadowing story on the referees.
Game 5 should prove to be the most boring game of the series. The Lakers will win by at least 14.
The pace of this series is favoring the Celtics (around 90 possessions per game) with the Lakers averaging around 102 possessions during the regular season. Both teams are playing incredibly efficient for the lack of possessions but higher efficiency does favor the Lakers. What this all means is that the fans should benefit with a competitive series.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment