The Ghost of Tim Donaghy

Not that I'm condoning ejecting players, particularly key players, in any playoff games anything short of pulling a gun on an opponent, but at the very least in this blast from the past, Pierce gave Jaamal Tinsley a forearm shiver that in this 21st century age of overreaction, was a just cause for ejection. Now let's fast forward six years to today.

I umpire little league games, I don't referee youth basketball. So while I'm not as familiar with the rules of basketball, I'm almost positive setting screens are still legal, right? What we have here is a referee, Dan Crawford, on an ego trip. I'm aware the Celtics were down 87-74 at the time of the ejection, but with still 7:00 left in the game against the Heat, of all teams, who aren't exactly know for being able to close teams out, who's to say the Celts couldn't have made a furious late push? For all intents and purposes that game was over when Crawford tossed Pierce, who's still the heart and soul of the Celtics. You take away a teams best player and emotional leader, good luck coming back in a hostile environment.  Although I use the term "hostile environment" lightly because everyone knows all Heat fans are a bunch of bandwagon jumping, polo shirt-wearing pussies who know absolutely nothing about basketball. They were 16th in attendance last year, and then suddenly jump to 5th this year. 

Anyways, the allusions to Tim Donaghy here definitely warrant mentioning. Like I hate criticizing officials because 95% of the time it's just sour grapes. But in this case? I think it's a legitimate gripe. LeBron and Wade getting away with murder on both ends of the court while Paul Pierce sets a screen and then has D-Wade come in his face, and PP gets ejected likely only for muttering some choice words? I honestly ask: does the NBA want the Heat to advance over the Celtics? Is this a Lakers-Kings 2002 situation here? How do the Heat attempt 32 free throws to the Celtics' 18? I'd remove this Crawford character for the rest of this series, he's clearly about as biased as a priest from Kansas arguing against evolution. He's gotta go.

But should the referees stay out of this series, which unfortunately is a big if, I'm not worried at all. The Celtics lost the opener to the LeBron's in last season's semis as well. Should Boston snag Game 2 Tuesday night, which I fully expect them to do, they're a different animal when on the parquet floors of the Garden. The Heat averaged 81 points per game in Boston this year. When LeBron ain't being coddled by his home "fans" down in Miami, it can get ugly for the self-proclaimed King. I still like the Celts in 7.