The Boston Celtics are clearly better than the Los Angeles Lakers. They go nine deep while the Lakers try to play one on five. That formula (along with the interficials in their corner) may have worked against the inexperienced OKC Thunder, injured Utah Jazz and the soft Phoenix Suns; but they are playing the Boston Celtics now, a championship pedigreed team that takes care of the business on both sides of the ball.
Essentially the inept 2008 Lakers are playing a much improved version of the 2008 Boston Celtics. I am talking about the same 2008 Lakers that lost to the Celtics 131-92 in the final game of that series. I realize that games are not won on paper, but this is not merely a paper argument. The Boston Celtics have looked much better than their counterparts throughout this finals. The league knew that the Lakers did not match-up well with the Celtics going into the series, so they went about circumventing fair play. It's "the ole reach around," as Gob Bluth would call it.
Sadly, the Celtics main nemesis in this series has not been the Lakers, with all due respect to Kobe's masterful individual performances (at times). The Celtics nemesis has been the officials. The league was so desperate to give the Lakers a kick-start in this series that they put Joey Crawford (the greatest interficial of all-time) to work right away (Bob Delaney might argue that). The terrible officiating continued throughout the first three games. But the Celtics overcame it in Game 2 thanks to the hot shooting of Ray Allen. Ironically they did not overcome the interficiating of Game 3 due to the cold shooting of Ray Allen.
After three games, it was infuriating to realize that NBA corruption prohibited the Celtics from being up 2-1 or probably 3-0 in the series. It was just flat out sickening that the Los Angeles Lakers title and their subsequent propensity to draw ratings was valued so greatly that the NBA would dishonor the game and cheat. Yes, I am using the c-word. I have no proof besides my eyes. I do not have the smoking gun, but I do know that where there is smoke there is fire. If I woke up strapped to an electric chair, I would not be overly concerned with wondering who did it and when, I'd just know that it happened.
Game Four was more of the same. Although, with the Celtics down two games to one, the league ratcheted down the bad calls and we probably had about the closest thing to a fair game that we will see this entire series. Referring to the bad officiating in the first three games, Charles Barkley said, "this was the first game (Game 4) that was like a game." Still, Kenny Smith reviewed four Game 4 calls that went against the Celtics that were call incorrectly. Smith called them 'one hundred percent calls,' meaning that there was no excuse for the blown calls. But even his analysis disregarded many other bad calls in that game.
Game Five was a joke. I am not referring to the bad officiating. Although there were plenty of bad calls, it was not nearly as poorly officiated as the first three games in which the league felt compelled to give the Celtics a handicap. What was particularly sad about the game is how it symbolized the NBA's complete and udder disregard for the fans.
Joey Crawford was the lead interficial. Does David Stern think that the average NBA fan is a peon? Let's assume he does and that he thinks he is getting away with something on that level. He would still have to believe that a certain segment of the audience has some moral fiber and reasonable intelligence and he is basically bitch slapping them. I feel so strongly about this issue that I am willing to use the b-word for the first time in this website's history. Stern has no respect for his audience to be using the most controversial active interficial of all-time in the most pivotal NBA game in years! To counter the protests of fans, he loves to go with the logic that if he has nothing to be ashamed of then he can do what he wants. But we all know that is a boat load of dung and that he thinks we should accept his cheating as long as the smoking gun is nowhere to be found.
In Game 5, Crawford made a large amount of bad calls that went in the Lakers favor. The Lakers went to the free throw line 26 times while the Celtics went to the line 13 times despite the fact that the Celtics were the more aggressive team. Pierce who was the Celtics point man for the attack went to the line all of two times. Derrick Fisher barely touched the ball all night and he went to the line five times. But once a series is tied two to two the interficials generally keeps the interficiating to a relative minimum and Game 5 was still tame compared to the first three games. It is Game 6 that the league will be willing to commit a higher volume of egregious calls in an effort to force a Game 7 and make millions of dollars.
Still, there was a Game 5 call that symbolizes the great lengths that the officials will go to keep a game close and build the drama (and ratings). Ahead 92-83 and with the game in check, the Celtics played wonderful defense on Kobe Bryant. Bryant went around a screen and hoisted a fade away three that had no chance of going in. It was reminiscent of the Lakers chances of winning a fairly officiated series. Crawford called a foul on Ray Allen. The call was made despite the fact that Allen was called for a controversial call on a similar play in Game 4. This time, Allen reigned himself in so that as Jeff Vangundy said, "he did not even appear to foul." But Crawford had no problem just making a call completely up.
So the Boston Celtics head back to Los Angeles to try and close out the series (up 3-2). They must be bitter about the fact that the interficials prevented them from winning the championship in front of their hometown fans. They must lament the fact that were it not for the interficials, they could have stamped their supremacy with a sweep. They must dread the fact that they know they have to play five on eight in a hostile environment to win a trophy that they already should possess.
Mister Stern. You can hide but we know what you are doing. You could not even find the audacity to give one of your patented six figure fines to the Boston Celtics owner when he confronted you after Game 3 and told you how you should be embarrassed by the terrible officiating.
In the immortal words of 'Animal House,' "Hold my mount mister. Mister hold my mount." I only want to reciprocate your actions.
As for Crawford. He could not pull of the victory. But give him credit. He did his best to get the Lakers a victory on a night in which the Celtics shot 56 percent and the Lakers shot 39 percent (FGs).
As for Crawford. He could not pull of the victory. But give him credit. He did his best to get the Lakers a victory on a night in which the Celtics shot 56 percent and the Lakers shot 39 percent (FGs).
The following Tainted Love videos are dedicated to David Stern and his hired goons:
This article is dedicated to Lakers fans that think this series is on the up and up. You are enablers.
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