Suns - Celtics 2/22 Drop 140 again!

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

With Tim Donaghy's exposure for fixing games, and the implications made about some other refs, this is still debatable in my opinion.

While we SHOULD rise above it and overcome the calls, this game was terribly called in favor of the C's. With as good a team as they are, it's next to impossible to beat that team and the calls (especially if the first half is called in their favor, as it totally takes you out of your game).

This isn't just coming from me, I was at the game with a friend of mine from Orlando who is an avid Magic fan and he was saying it was ridiculous with how the refs called the game.

in regards to the "fixing games" concept . . . that would have nothing to do with favoring particular teams. i'm all but certain that organized crime wouldn't be stupid enough to try to consistently fix games for a handful of teams. they are more interested in making money than having any particular team win.

as for the calls - yeah, i thought it was fairly one-sided too, though not egregious. what I thought was the real problem was the fact that we just couldn't stop them. take away the free throws, they still shot an insane percentage in the first and second quarter. and that wasn't the FT's taking us out of our game, that was just putrid defense.

 

[Cheesewater]

in regards to the "fixing games" concept . . . that would have nothing to do with favoring particular teams. i'm all but certain that organized crime wouldn't be stupid enough to try to consistently fix games for a handful of teams. they are more interested in making money than having any particular team win.

as for the calls - yeah, i thought it was fairly one-sided too, though not egregious. what I thought was the real problem was the fact that we just couldn't stop them. take away the free throws, they still shot an insane percentage in the first and second quarter. and that wasn't the FT's taking us out of our game, that was just putrid defense.

I think in a broader sense, the now proven concept that games can be fixed by officials for money opens up the debate of officials calling games a certain way just because the ref is or isn't a fan of a particular team or player. If a ref can call a game in order to make money, which is an offense with an inherent trail of evidence, what is to stop him from calling it for the Celtics just because he's been a Boston fan all of his life? The latter is harder to prove and thus, easier to get away with. I bet you couldn't find a single NBA referee who would deny any personal allegiance to a particular team...given the poll was anonymous of course.

I'm not throwing in with the biased officiating crowd, per se. Just illustrating the concept.

It was one of those games in which there were too many things to overcome for the Suns. Poor shooting, slow defensive rotation, low energy, bad calls... If they could have pulled their heads out on just a couple of those things they would have had a chance. No, bad calls alone didn't sink them.

 

[elindholm]

Van Gundy and Jackson are the best national announcers today.

Ugh, I can't agree with you there. Van Gundy is superb, but Jackson is an idiot. All he does is regurgitate the same standard cliches we've all heard a thousand times, and he uses the same bogus "thoughtful" cadence to emphasize every vapid point. I'd honestly rather listen to Bill Walton, who is at least capable of independent insight.

 

[Cheesewater]

Ugh, I can't agree with you there. Van Gundy is superb, but Jackson is an idiot. All he does is regurgitate the same standard cliches we've all heard a thousand times, and he uses the same bogus "thoughtful" cadence to emphasize every vapid point. I'd honestly rather listen to Bill Walton, who is at least capable of independent insight.

Indeed. And Breen isn't blameless either. That guy is a cloyingly disgusting shill for whatever overhyped superstar is on Stern's call sheet that day. A lot of play-by-play guys are like that these days. Whenever any poster-boy makes a play, from the tone of their voices it seems as if they are receiving the happiest of endings.

 

[jandaman]

The defense was unbelievably non existant for the Suns.

Barbosa's defense on Allen was mainly chasing him full on around the court, instead of anticipating his movements and shots.

Rondo had his way with Nash, Nash tries but its limited to running side to side with him, once Rondo go for a shooting motion or layup Nash doesnt challenge it.

In the other end, Celtics defense consisted of forcing the Suns to take "playground" shots. Which works for the Suns usually, but against a team that will challenge and force bad shots, its dangerous, you have to be able to counter in the defensive end somehow.

Allen and Rondo did the damage in the offense, everyone else for the Celtics burnt energy defensively.

Suns in the other hand burnt all their energy on offense and basically played "chase" defensively.
You cannot chase Allen around, he can handle the ball. You have to beat him to spots.


Richardson was shockingly bad defensively, again anyone who can fake a shot or stutter a step then go another direction can get by him. Richardson's stance was a running stance as opposed to the crab stance, which ALL COACHES preach when you first learn to play defense.

 

[Bufalay]

Ugh, I can't agree with you there. Van Gundy is superb, but Jackson is an idiot. All he does is regurgitate the same standard cliches we've all heard a thousand times, and he uses the same bogus "thoughtful" cadence to emphasize every vapid point. I'd honestly rather listen to Bill Walton, who is at least capable of independent insight.

Jackson may not be particularly original, but he doesn't really have to be, they are a team. Van Gundy does a good job of providing insight, while I find the dynamic that exists between the coach and his former player to be fairly entertaining.

As far as ex-players go, I think that Kenny Smith is the most original in his analyses.

 

[Ollie]

Depends which ship you mean. I think they still have a decent shot at the #8 seed, but I haven't seen them as championship contenders for more than a year.

Ditto. Those who thought the Suns would be contenders because they crushed the Clippers twice and the Thunder are either homers of gigantic proportions or people in need of a head check.

And by the way, blaming the refs for this loss is ridiculous : a team that shots 63% from the floor and outrebounds the other team 40-26 can't lose a game. Hell, even if Donaghy and Mike Corleone called the shots and favored the Suns, they would have lost anyway.

 

[elindholm]

As far as ex-players go, I think that Kenny Smith is the most original in his analyses.

Reggie Miller's not bad either, but I agree that Smith is better.

 

[Andrew]

The Clippers beat the Celtics...how the hell were we blown out?

 

[Blackification]

Celtics are scared out of their minds when they go to staples center.

 

[lou_skywalker]

Mikki distorted their chemistry a bit