No one can say the Boston Celtics didn’t play hard. They did!
But some blatantly bad calls helped turn Tony Allen from an average backup guard who fouls at a rate of over six per 48 minutes, into an all-star caliber defender that couldn’t be beat.
And one of the roughest, most aggressive teams in the NBA was only hit with 21 personal fouls, while the light-hitting Raptors were charged with 27.
But one would not have known this from the response of the coaching staffs.
On every foul called against the Celtics, Doc Rivers was up in arms screaming at the referees. On every foul call against the Raptors, there was silence from the Raptors bench.
The most obvious and blatant moves by the referees to ensure the Raptors couldn’t make a run in this game, came in the third quarter.
Jarrett Jack, who was struggling against an aggressive Tony Allen, was called for an offensive foul as he drove for the layup and attempted his shot. Tony Allen leaped into the air in front of Jack, swiping down at Jack’s arms, and the “totally objective” call was that Jack fouled Allen.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Stephen Brotherston
Celtics-Raptors: NBA Referees Win One for Boston
January 3rd, 2010 by Stephen Brotherston Leave a reply »
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