Frustrated by officiating, Boston Celtics fail discipline test vs. Houston Rockets: ’it’s demoralizing for you and the team'

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2020/02/frustrated-by-officiating-boston-celtics-fail-discipline-test-vs-houston-rockets-its-demoralizing-for-you-and-the-team.html



Frustrated by officiating, Boston Celtics fail discipline test vs. Houston Rockets: ’it’s demoralizing for you and the team'



Updated Feb 12, 2020; Posted Feb 12, 2020




Houston Rockets' Russell Westbrook (0) drives toward the basket as Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart (36) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)


By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




HOUSTON - Marcus Smart stood in front of his locker in the Toyota Center’s visiting locker room, half undressed, ranting about the officiating.

There’s a good chance he’s not the first opposing player to stand in that spot doing that exact same thing. He will almost certainly not be the last.

This is what the Rockets, especially James Harden, do. They draw a lot of fouls, they take and lot of free throws, and by the end of it, someone on the other team is a muttering mess.


“I think Russ and James shot 31 between the two and our team only shot 25,” Smart said after he had calmed down some. “That’s a big discrepancy.”

It certainly is. In a game Boston lost by 11, they were outscored by 17 at the free throw line. We shouldn’t pretend the Celtics weren’t complicit in this. They developed a bad habit of biting on a lot of ball fakes late in the game, putting the Rockets on the line in non-driving situations. Before the game, Brad Stevens preached discipline, and afterwards acknowledged that they failed in that regard.

If there’s a difference in this game, it’s that Boston generally got calls when they drove and not when they took jumpers. Boston was baited into fouls on both.

“We weren’t as good as we needed to be,” Jayson Tatum said. “It’s not easy being in that moment, knowing not to jump on a shot fake, but you do it. We just gotta be better."

Kemba Walker might not agree with the assertion that Boston got fouled on drives. He was attacking in the fourth quarter, but shot no free throws to Harden’s six.


“I would love to tell you a little bit more about it, but I’m not trying to lose no money. I don’t want to say the wrong thing at all,” Walker said with wry smile. “It’s always a touchy subject. But the referees have it tough, I think. They try their best. As best as they can, I guess. It’s whatever. I’m just going to keep attacking.”

Smart, though, might lose some money, because he was less forgiving.

“The way the game is being called, we didn’t know how physical we could be, because when we were physical we were being called, so it kind of made us hesitant and put us on our heels," he said. "Anytime you fearful of fouling, that’s kind of what happened.”

Some of Smart’s frustration stems from not feeling he’s getting a benefit of the doubt. As he’s done in the past, Smart feels like he doesn’t have the respect of the officials.

“Thought I did. First team all defense, one of the best defensive players in the league, I would think so. Up for defensive player of the year, they’re talking, but obviously not," he said. “Continue to keep working. I mean, we have Jayson Tatum, we have Kemba Walker, all-stars, we have Jaylen Brown, potential all-star, we have Gordon Hayward, was an all-star. We got star guys, too. If that’s the case we should be getting the same calls that those stars are getting.”


Smart carried the frustration with him out of the locker room and, undoubtedly, onto the team bus and plane home. He’s upset.

Walker was upset to, not just with the officiating, but with himself.

“I’m not a type of player to play with frustration anyway. I think that’s when I kind of have my worst games – when I am frustrated,” he said. “So I’ve got to be more conscious of not letting things like that affect me. Especially me because I’m one of the leaders of this team. I’m one of the guys that these guys look at. So when I get frustrated, it kind of trickles down to everybody. Everybody starts to get frustrated. So I’ve got to be better with not showing my frustration as much as I did tonight.”


bob


.

Hi,
Yes, it was BS officiating. Harden even managed to set a record: 42 points with just 9 fg. Crazy!

AK

What an absolutely ugly game to watch. Players for both teams complained the whole damn game and tried so hard to trick the referees into foul calls.

I am pretty sure that Houston will crash and burn in the playoffs with their ultra small ball lineups.

A few years ago players like IT, Kyrie and Harden were anticipating contact when coming around a screen and were throwing up terrible shots and were getting 3 free throws. The league changed that, and now it's no longer a shooting foul. Thank God.
The league has to make more adjustments. Offensive players are moving into defenders while driving to the basket and the defensive players are always called for a foul. Also, the constant looking for contact, especially from the 3 point like is absurd. They need to call many more offensive fouls on these type of plays and more technicals for throwing your arms in the air and arguing when players don't get a call they didn't deserve.

TJ You are right. The way the game is called now, good defensive players who make terrific plays are called for fouls that never should be called. They are trying to make this a totally offensive game, high scoring, no defense. I swear half of the referees calling these games have no idea what good defense is. Again, you were right about the players crabbing all night, but Mike D'Antoni worked those ref's from the beginning to the end. Don't they ever get tired of listening to him cry. Both teams were at it, but I have to say, watching a game where the opposition shoots almost 40 free throws is sickening.

Time for the game to move back to when a good play was a good play, no whistles. We will get like baseball, the game just will go on and on and on. It is crazy

RosalieTCeltics wrote:TJ  You are right. The way the game is called now, good defensive players who make terrific plays are called for fouls that never should be called. They are trying to make this a totally offensive game, high scoring, no defense.  I swear half of the referees calling these games have no idea what good defense is.  Again, you were right about the players crabbing all night, but Mike D'Antoni worked those ref's from the beginning to the end. Don't they ever get tired of listening to him cry.  Both teams were at it, but I have to say, watching a game where the opposition shoots almost 40 free throws is sickening.

Time for the game to move back to when a good play was a good play, no whistles. We will get like baseball, the game just will go on and on and on. It is crazy

Rosalie,

You are correct that the NBA wants an offensive brand of basketball.
I sent to my son a text on Monday that showed how much the game has changed in less than 20 years.
The text read:

This year Orlando has the lowest opposition ppg at 104.9.

In the 2002-03 season, only one team gave up more that 101 ppg and that was GS at 103.6.
Detroit lead the league with 87.7 opposition ppg.
The league has really changed!

tjmakz wrote:What an absolutely ugly game to watch. Players for both teams complained the whole damn game and tried so hard to trick the referees into foul calls.

I am pretty sure that Houston will crash and burn in the playoffs with their ultra small ball lineups.

A few years ago players like IT, Kyrie and Harden were anticipating contact when coming around a screen and were throwing up terrible shots and were getting 3 free throws. The league changed that, and now it's no longer a shooting foul. Thank God.
The league has to make more adjustments. Offensive players are moving into defenders while driving to the basket and the defensive players are always called for a foul. Also, the constant looking for contact, especially from the 3 point like is absurd. They need to call many more offensive fouls on these type of plays and more technicals for throwing your arms in the air and arguing when players don't get a call they didn't deserve.

Well said. Cue the NCAA where you can at least watch an entertaining brand of basketball without the officials intentionally slanting the court in one direction.