Celtics-Hawks: Game 6 More Of The Same From Officials

Quickly, I want to provide some numbers from the Celtics-Hawks series, through six games.

The Boston Celtics have been to the free-throw line 137 times, an average of 22.8 attempts per game. 

The Atlanta Hawks have shot 200 free throws, an average of 33.3 per game.  

That is ten more trips to the foul line per contest for the Hawks. The numbers are slightly more absurd if one looks at the three games in Atlanta, with Boston averaging 22.7 attempts per game and the Hawks 35.7.  The Celtics have also been whistled for 32 more fouls during the series thus far.  

In last night's Game 6, a game decided by three points, the Hawks went to the line 47 times, including 41 times in the final three quarters, to Boston's 25. I will repeat that: the Hawks went to the free throw line 47 times last night, or 22 more times than Boston. 

Similar to Game 4 in Atlanta, last night Boston got out to an early double-digit lead (a 12-point edge after one quarter), only to see the Hawks, with a big push from the officials, get right back in the game. 

With the exception of Game 1, when the Celtics shot four more free throws than the Hawks, Atlanta has had more free-throw attempts in each game than Boston, including plus-14 in Games 2 and 5, plus-15 in Game 4 and the plus-22 last night. 

I don't remember who has officiated all of these games, but I do know Violet Palmer, maybe the worst official in the league, was the official for one game.  Joey Crawford was a ref last night, the same Joey Crawford who showed the type of man he is a year ago when he gave Tim Duncan a technical while Duncan sat on the bench.  How is he allowed to be an official in a playoff game?  Tim Donaghy not available? Isn't there anyone better than this? 

The Celtics are the far superior team.  I went back and forth last night for a long time after the game with fellow Bleacher Report writer Andy Miller that, despite how terrible the officials have been against Boston in the three games in Atlanta, a team like the Celtics that has aspirations of winning a title must find a way to overcome adversity to win at least once in Atlanta.  And there is some truth to that. 

But after a night to sleep on it, how can they? The players and coaches share in the responsibility for the three losses, particularly last night's. Teams are not going to be perfect, but it is extremely difficult to get past your own mistakes, the other team, and a hostile crowd when those are combined with persistent poor officiating.

Boston could have played and coached better last night. The Celtics defense slipped for long stretches in the third and fourth quarter. Kevin Garnett disappeared in the fourth and at times looked nervous when he did touch the ball. Ray Allen's 3-point attempt, down by two with ten seconds to go, was rushed.  I have to believe the Celtics, even without Pierce, could have come up with a better shot. When the Hawks left the door open by Bibby missing a free throw and then not fouling, the Celtics on the court all stood around watching Rajon Rondo dribble, forcing Rondo to jack up a last-second shot that had no chance. 

Doc Rivers seems to have forgotten that his team was the best defensive team in the league all year - there is no need to drastically change your defense to stop one player when you have three guys who could do a decent job guarding him (Pierce, Posey and Tony Allen). Instead Doc has stuck with Ray Allen on Joe Johnson (whom I will admit has been outstanding) and tried to put in a trapping defense that didn't work once. It only allowed open looks and easy offensive rebounds against a scrambling Boston defense.  

And Doc is a major problem when it comes to the free-throw discrepancy, too.

He just sits on the sidelines, smiling and trying to be friends with the refs. It is very obvious he is most concerned with people liking him. There is not another coach of a top team that would stand for his team being outshot at the free-throw line every game in a series by such glaring amounts.

If this was happening to the Lakers, don’t you think the refs (and the media after the game) would be hearing from Phil Jackson. Even if the calls every single time were the right calls, Jackson would still point out the discrepancy. He wouldn't take it for one game, let alone six. And you know what would happen: the next game, the free-throws would at worst be even, and most likely be in the Lakers’ favor. That is part of coaching; that is what all coaches do. Except for Doc Rivers. 

Even Mike Woodson, whose team has been getting every call, does this. There was a play last night where he didn't like a call against the Hawks in the third quarter. He loudly let the official know he wasn't happy. Next time up the court, that same official calls a non-shooting off-the-ball foul against the Celtics.

I am a Celtics fan. Maybe some readers will just think this is sour grapes. And maybe it is, and hopefully the Celtics win tomorrow, and I can just move on. But officiating does matter. These are close games, and when the calls are all going one way, when one team is being whistled for everything, it makes it very difficult – nearly impossible – for any team to overcome.