The Boston Celtics could have won all five of their series games against the Heat. They consistently did not execute at key moments though. The better team lost. Nonetheless, the better team did not do what they were supposed to do and they deserved to lose (on a certain level at least).
However, it is still unfortunate that the Heat advanced to the next round of the playoffs. Now basketball fans have to endure another round or two of watching the NBA put them on the free throw line any time somebody looks at them wrong.
In the interest of disclosure, Shots Heard has always been a pro-Celtics website. But our annoyance is not based on sour grapes regarding the Celtics loss. Our annoyance is based on the league manufacturing points for the Heat and taking away from the game.
Constantly throughout the Celtics Heat series, Dwy-ane Wayne (learn how to spell Dwayne) and Lebron James would drive into the lane, lunge into a defender that was standing or jumping straight up; and the refs would call the defensive fouls. Sadly, we all knew that that would be the case going into this series. The NBA's dirty tricks are well known.
The only thing, more annoying then the fact that the interficials played this shell game of pretend fouls; was watching Wade and James become enraged when the fallacious calls weren't called. At one point James jumped into the chest of Big Baby Davis and put up a shot that KG blocked (all ball). LBJ and Wade both threw their hands up like babies despite the fact that the only possible realistic call would be an offensive foul.
Up 87-81 in Game 5, Wade drove into the lane, wildly charged into Nenad Krstic, who was standing straight up and then he threw a shot up that rolled off the rim and into a Celtic player's hands. The ref whistled Krstic for the foul. The call gave the Heat a break, two points and returned momentum to their side.
Krstic could only laugh and demonstrate that he was standing still with his hands straight up.But it's not really a laughing matter. It was not merely a missed call. It was an intentionally bad call that we have seen time and time again from Stern's company men.
We talk about the bs calls. We know they aren't a figment of our imagination. Yet under the Stern regime, the pattern ensues. That is because the pattern is not considered a problem.
It is notable that the corrupt Game 5 rigging came on the heals of Wade committing a flagrant 2 foul that dislocated star Celtics point guard, Rajon Rondo left elbow and effectively took him out of the series. Rondo had 6 points and 3 assists in Game 5. Those numbers are well below his averages. Those numbers are well below what is expected from a player known to elevate his game and constantly post triple doubles in the playoffs.
Adding insult to injury, the NBA did not bother to enforce their own rules and kick Wade out of Game 3 and suspend him for Game 4. It could have easily been the Celtics up 3-1 going into that game. The Celtics could have easily taken that rebound on the Wade miss and gone down and put the dagger into the Heat. And even had they choked, they would have likely won Game 6 at Bean Town.
Adding insult to injury, the NBA did not bother to enforce their own rules and kick Wade out of Game 3 and suspend him for Game 4. It could have easily been the Celtics up 3-1 going into that game. The Celtics could have easily taken that rebound on the Wade miss and gone down and put the dagger into the Heat. And even had they choked, they would have likely won Game 6 at Bean Town.
The Eastern Conference Finals features arguably the three best players in the game; Wade, James and (Derrick) Rose. But the writers at Shots Heard does not plan on watching that high profile WWE Basketball match-up that is slated to go seven games (if Stern gets his way).
Let the peons that Stern is catering to, (especially) enjoy that series. It's not a series for fair minded fans though. Of course, what series is these days?
We at Shots Heard, were watching to see if the Celtics could rise above the fray that is Stern and his minions. It is a rooting interest that keeps fans watching sometimes. But Stern has taken away the default rooting interest; the purity of the game. Once a fan's team is eliminated, that fan has no need to 'witness' the ensuing bs.
We won't lie though. This is what the public wants. They want the Bulls and Heat. We are not so silly as to think that the ratings are not the bottom line in Stern's world. The NBA is but a microcosm of the world's corruption. We only speak to those with an embedded sense of pride; you know, the real minority.
