There was just no way the NBA, Kobe Bryant, or the suspect officiating crew was going to let the Celtics go up three games to none.
The Celtics did not lose because of the officiating. They lost because Ray Allen was the only member of the Big Three that made the trip to LA. That said, because of the things reported in the media Tuesday about the NBA fixing games and influencing officials, it should be noted what happened tonight.
As everyone predicted, in an attempt to give an advantage to the home team, the NBA chose an officiating crew anchored by a guy who was officiating in his first NBA Finals game, and of course running NBA playoff joke Bennett Salvatore.
The Celtics got the benefit of suspect officiating in Game Two. Even the most insane Celtic fan needs to admit to this. The free throw margin, which I have pointed out many times this post season in the opposite direction, was so far in their favor that either the Lakers weren’t playing ANY defense (which is debatably true) or the officials called the game differently on both sides of the floor.
If the NBA wasn’t completely broken, they would have put their best officiating crew on Game Three. There wouldn’t have been an entire first quarter of Kobe Bryant getting make-up free throws. Paul Pierce wouldn't have had five fouls, three of which were suspect. Garnett wouldn't have shot his first two free throws in the third quarter.
The entire first half of the game was an apology to the Lakers. It was so bad, Kobe ended up getting a technical in the fourth quarter because he was so surprised the refs actually had the gall to call a foul on him.
The NBA should have looked at Game Two of this series, just like they should have looked at the games I’ve pointed out earlier in the playoffs where the Celtics were killed by officiating, and cleaned up the officiating in the next game. Making up for the officiating in the previous game is even more inexcusable than the bad officiating that preceded it.
That said, the Celtics lost because Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were both awful. If either one of them showed up, the Celtics would be up three to nothing.
But the fact that the Lakers had a great game from Kobe Bryant, a great game from their bench, a terrible game from Paul Pierce, a bad game from Kevin Garnett, a ton of help from the officials, and still barely won the game doesn’t bode well for the rest of the series.
The Celtics need to figure out how to deal with Kobe Bryant switching on to Rajon Rondo. I don’t care how open he is, Rondo isn’t going to win a game on the road with his jump shot. Kobe was able to run around, off Rondo, and double the ball. The Celtics had a terrible time dealing with this.
When Doc was forced to go to Eddie House due to Rondo’s injury, the offense opened up. Hopefully he learns from this and plays the House, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, Brown/Perkins lineup more often.
Against this Lakers team, who can’t play any real defense, you need to spread the floor. If you spread the floor and move the ball, they will break down defensively. The Celtics need to do a better job of forcing this to happen, and I’m not sure they can do that with Rondo on the floor.
Kobe Bryant was immense. He willed his team to victory. You can’t take anything away from him.
But the halftime interview—are you kidding me?
Are we forgetting that, at best, this is a guy who cheated on his wife with a teenager in Colorado? At worst, he’s a rapist. Let’s not try to pretend he’s a great family man.
Why can’t we separate greatness in sport from greatness in real life? If Kobe were a terrible player, do you think we’d be watching interviews about how great of a family man he is? Absolutely not.
Kobe is a tremendous basketball player. Maybe one of the best ever. But he’s a complete jerk on the floor, a complete jerk off the floor, and either a scumbag who took advantage of a young girl in a Colorado hotel room while his wife was at home in California or a rapist.
Stop trying to convince me he’s a great guy.
Can’t stress this enough. Kobe Bryant is a great basketball player. He may end up leading a much lesser Laker team over a superior Celtic team simply because he’s one of the greatest basketball players ever to step on an NBA court.
(OK, rant over...sorry about that. I'm especially grouchy when the Celtics lose.)
So what will happen in Game Four on Thursday night?
I wasn’t confident going into this game (I’m on record saying the Celtics were going to lose), but I am confident going into Thursday’s game.
Extremely confident.
Game Four is when the Celtics will take control of this series—because they have to. The pressure is back on them. They do NOT want to go into Game Five, in Los Angeles (which is insane, considering the Celtics have “Home Court Advantage” in the playoffs) tied against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Here’s the hoping the NBA sends the “even” officiating crews for the rest of the playoffs. I don’t want the crew from Game Two, and I don’t want the crew from Game Three. I don’t want the Lakers to have the excuse, and I don’t want the Celtics to lose because of officiating.
Hopefully, David Stern is listening.
(PS: Quote of the playoffs, "I'm just surprised he didn't whine about the officiating tonight." -- Doc Rivers when asked about Phil Jackson claiming that Kevin Garnett looked tired.)
Sean Crowe is a Senior Writer at Bleacher Report. You can email him at scrowe@gmail.com. His archive can be found here. You can find everything he writes, including articles for other publications, here.
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4 months ago
Do you think that Kobe "the family man" Bryant half-time segment made the entire state of Colorado throw a Coors Light at their TV?
Celtics play one of the worst games of the year. Lakers work out nearly every kink that held them back in game 1 and 2. The officials seemed a tad whistle-happy and afraid to repeat game 2, as if their jobs were on the line.
All this and the Celtics only lose by 6. The Lakers have never been more non-threatening in the Finals.
*knocking on wood*
4 months ago
Who would be the best officiating crew for the NBA? they are all terrible.
from 4 months ago
Touche.
4 months ago
I missed this game. We had severe storms and tornadoes yesterday...still out of power. You had better keep writting about the Celts so I can keep informed.
4 months ago
Wow, way to beat a man done. The guy already got a thrashing from the whole Colorado thing, why continue to attack the man about it. The past is past. Sorry your team lost, but the fact of the matter is Paul Pierce and KG scored like crap and Ray Allen was their main force of offense. You seem to overlook that Odom and Gasol played even worse than KG and Paul Pierce and the rest of the starters played no better on the Lakers side. It was really Kobe and Sasha that got the job done. Your team lost, it's not like thats the end. You talk as if the lakers were clicking on all cylinders. Just wait until the series is over before you start bitchin on players. And stop calling the man a rapist, he made a mistake and that's it, don't try to take away from what he did last night. That's messed up and it's shows you have no class. Oh and sorry the scared officiating did whatever they could to help the lakers win. Bull!!!! The Lakers were the aggressor and that was it. Move on to the Next Game. Maybe the World will be put back on balance when all 6 stars play big and the true victor wins.
from 4 months ago
Blame ABC for doing a 10 minute segment on Kobe's family man side during half-time. Out of all the talent in the Finals, ABC chooses Kobe for the half-time, tug at the heart moment.
I agree with Sean. The media is trying desperately to give Kobe a total image makeover. How are we supposed to react when a platter of bull sh*t is shoved in our face? Don't give me a pile of crap and tell me it's chocolate cake, ABC.
from 4 months ago
Kick a man when he's down?
He has nearly all of his endorsements back. He won the MVP. He's the best player in the NBA. He's three wins away from a championship.
I'm OK with all of that. Just don't try to pretend he's this great family guy. Had he not had the money to buy a great lawyer and an even greater diamond ring, he'd be divorced and in prison...
-Sean
4 months ago
GO LA lAKERS! I think Kobe Bryant improved from the first 2 games. But still boston is playing man good, they already won the first 2 games. Maybe LA Lakers would made it a time. Wow, really excting to take on the best of the best.
4 months ago
When the Lakers were down by 21 in game 2 with all the whistle blowing going against them and they came back to within four...Where were your tears then. It's part of the game quit crying about it. Odom had a bad game last night as well as Gasol. So for you to try and make excuses about such a great team that was taken to the limit by Atlanta in the first round, really is saying something about what kind of fan you are. Here's a tip for you get a box of Kleenex just incase the Celtics lose again and cry on your couch by yourself.
from 4 months ago
I thought I was pretty clear that the officials didn't cause the result, not by a long shot. Pierce and Garnett both don't show up, the Celtics can't win.
The officiating is a legit story because of 1) what happened in game two and 2) the story that came out yesterday about the NBA fixing playoff games.
It just didn't look good...didn't effect the end result, but it didn't look good.
from 4 months ago
Yeah, but you'd go from that to what seemed like making excuses. The Celtics were way more agressive which gets more fouls for you since the defense has to work harder. The Lakers were more aggressive in game 3. That was the deal there, the Celtics played game 3 like the Lakers played game 2. They descided to show up for one quarter and play, but it wasn't enough. They are both good teams, and it should be dually noted that the series could go either way. I honestly believe that if they played 10 best of 7 series they would split 5 a piece. I appologise for lashing out at you, but it seemed to me that is what you were saying and I have re read it twice since then and at times it does seem like you were playing the blame game with the refs. But this time I concentrated more on the points you make about Garnett and Pierce not playing which does seem to be the Celtics forte' this playoffs. The Celtics on the road in the playoffs are not the same team and I wish that they played with the same fire out of both teams that we saw from Boston in game 3 quarter 3 and Los Angeles game 2 quarter 4. That would be great to see both teams attacking one another at the same time instead of one attack and the other just let it happen. It's a rivalry it should be that way.
4 months ago
Just when you get all your on-court stuff right and coherent, you go ahead and drag the off-court stuff with you, and just sour the mood and temper of your nice article. That 'rapist' term was a tad under the belt, just too class-less.....so what if the network did that family segment on Kobe? He sells, he's the story of this season, so they do a story on him. Public image makeover whatever.....he's in the forefront, because his wife, of all people, forgave him. And why? Because he gave her a diamond worth a bomb? If his wife can sleep again with him, after that incident, I don't think any of us is worthy of throwing such painful dirt at him. It's over, done with.....it takes two to tango. He made a mistake, but life's gone on. And you know, how he has gone on.
Be a man, show some class....call it a sham, call it a charade, just don't call him a rapist, or this and that, remember, we r no morally upright persons ourselves, it comes with the good and bad.....how would you feel if the Celts lost and they called Paul and KG a bunch of useless chokers or anything crude and worse? Have some class, bro....give Bryant his due. Selfish, sinful, whatever he may be....he has no equal on the court, at least not in his time now.
And sooner rather than later, he will make his point.
And so will KG and Pierce.
Be a sport....keep on with the on-court insight, for the off-court stuff, leave it to the couch doctors, will you?
from 4 months ago
I didn't make Kobe's family life a story, ABC and Kobe Bryant made it a story with their awful and misleading halftime debacle.
I didn't call him a rapist, I said "at worst" he was a rapist. I stand by that. The check he wrote that girl and the statement he made afterwards, while circumstantial, is pretty damning evidence supporting that fact.
I gave him his due. He's the best player in the NBA. Period.
He doesn't deserve to get a pass on his off-field stuff simply because he's great on the field, especially if he's going to try to make himself out to be a great family guy.
Ask that Colorado girl how great he is. Somewhere between Kobe's "either taking advantage of a teenage girl, or raping a teenage girl" and the "paying a lawyer to basically destroy her life, then writing her a check to shut her up" I'm sure she developed an opinion on the subject.
PS: If the Celtics lose, and KG keeps playing like he's playing, I'll be the first one in line to call him a useless choker.
3 months ago
You are a complete moron sean if you think Kobe raped that girl.
First medical doctors when examining her believe she had sex with another man after Kobe and then went to the police to report the rape. I don't about you but if i was a girl and just got raped i wouldn't go out and have sex with someone else.
Also, she dropped the CRIMINAL lawsuit (which means he doesn't have to go to jail) but pursued the CIVIL lawsuit. Hmm, that's because she only wanted money. She doesn't want him to go to jail for raping her but she will gladly take his money.
Im quoting here from the women's attorney on why she dropped the criminal charger, "Bryant's apology factored into her decision to drop out of the case." WOW, a simple apology and rape is forgotten.
3 months ago
I think Kobe is a messed up man, sorry! Does he have a pea brain and didnt think to himself "i am a
public figure,if i cheat, it just might be PUBLIC one day!" ......did he want to risk loosing his family?
People in the public eye need to know they are just that-in that eye....KOBE must be a dumb m---f----}
new york
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