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Irish Coffee: Heat not guilty of foul play? 05.03.11 at 1:43 pm ET
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Wake up with the Celtics and your daily dose of Irish Coffee …

Plenty of deserved concerns arose about the officiating following the Heat’s Game 1 victory over the Celtics in which LeBron James & Co. made the same amount of field goals (32) and three fewer 3-pointers (12-9) but 12 more free throws on 14 more attempts.

Considering the NBA downgraded Celtics center Jermaine O’Neal‘s flagrant-one to a personal foul while upgrading Heat guard James Jones‘ personal to a flagrant-one foul the day after Game 1, any gripes about the referees — Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy and Derrick Collins — were validated as more than just sour grapes.

NBA officials have long been criticized for their treatment of the league’s superstars. It’s a conspiracy theory born in the Michael Jordan era and nursed along by the indictment of referee Tim Donaghy on game-fixing allegations (Donaghy appeared on Dennis & Callahan Tuesday morning). While I wouldn’t go so far to include the NBA’s current referees — Sunday’s officiating crew included — in the same conversation as Donaghy, there is statistical evidence that James and Dwyane Wade have received at least inadvertent star treatment throughout the 2010-11 season and into the playoffs.

The Heat averaged 27.9 free-throw attempts per game during the regular season, while their opponents averaged 24.2. Conversely, the Celtics averaged 23.1 free-throw attempts, while their opponents averaged 24.1. More specifically, Wade and James combined for 17.0 free-throw attempts per game this season. By contrast, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combined for 13.3 free throws a game.

But Wade and James get to the rim a ton, you say? That’s true. Each game, the Heat duo combined for 13.1 field-goal attempts within three feet of the basket. Hence, the big free throw numbers. But shouldn’t the Celtics’ Big Four — who combine for 14.0 field goals at the rim every game — be somewhere in that 17 free-throws per game range, rather than 13.3?

Not convinced? Consider this fact: Jordan averaged 7.7 free throws per game during his six championship seasons; Wade (8.6) and James (8.4) each averaged more this season.

This play went down as a Joel Anthony block in the box score. (AP)

In the playoffs, it’s actually gotten more lopsided in the Heat’s favor. In six games, Miami has attempted almost twice as many free throws as their opponents (176-105). Meanwhile, in their five playoff contests, the Celtics have taken 16 fewer free throws than their opponents (104-120) — highlighted by the 32-18 gap in Miami’s favor on Sunday afternoon.

If the NBA playoffs are more physical than the regular season, you wouldn’t know it from looking at the Heat’s box scores. Miami was whistled for 20.4 personal fouls per game in the regular season, but those offenses have dropped to 15.8 in the playoffs. On the flip side, the Celtics were called for 20.5 fouls per game in the regular season — and that number has increased to 21.6 in the playoffs.

While the Heat’s playoff opponents have totaled 105 free-throw attempts in five games against them, Wade and James have shot 101 in those games by themselves. Throw in Chris Bosh and the rest of Miami’s supporting cast, and the Heat have taken 71 more free throws than their playoff foes while only outscoring the 76ers and Celtics by a combined 46 points over six games.

In the only playoff game that the free throw and personal foul numbers were even remotely close — when the Heat committed one fewer foul (17-18) while out-shooting the 76ers 21-16 at the line — Miami lost Game 4 in Philadelphia, 86-82.

Keep an eye on those fouls in Tuesday night’s Game 2. If the officiating crew of Joe Crawford, Jason Phillips and Greg Willard whistle both teams evenly, the Celtics could leave Miami in a 1-1 series deadlock. Then again, Crawford was a member of the three-man crew in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, when the Lakers attempted 20 more free throws (37-17) than the Celtics. Let the conspiracy theories continue.

GAME 2: CELTICS at HEAT

WEEI.com’s Paul Flannery and Kirk Minihane are live from Miami. Stay tuned to Green Street for more updates, but first check out Flannery’s notes from Tuesday’s Celtics shootaround — including the obligatory Shaquille O’Neal update.

(Have a question, concern or conception for tomorrow’s Irish Coffee or a future mailbag? Send an e-mail to brohrbach@weei.com or a Twitter message to@brohrbach.)

Read More: Boston Celtics, Game 2, LeBron James, Miami Heat Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • paul

    It’s just demented that you call it a “conspiracy theory”. Just another example of how the media can twist reality. Yes, stars get special treatment, from Moses Malone’s patented shoulder slam (later perfected by Shaq), to Bird’s elbow hook, to Magic’s freight train express, and on and on. Lebron’s play is a joke because of the officiating. He knows that he can jump on that old Magic freight train and ride it to the basket, and if anyone gets in his path, likely he gets the call. Pro-basketball. One scooch more real than rasslin.

  • Eastbballfan

    Its funny how whenever the Celtics lose a game its got to be because of officiating. They were getting their butts kicked until they started making a run in the 4 qtr. The mistake the referee made was not throwing Pierce out after he headbutted Jones a minute earlier. Its also funny how you say that Wade and Lebron have been getting calls all season long, haven’t the Celtics beaten the Heat like 3 out of 4 times this season? I guess the officials didn’t help him all that much against the Celtics. Has Lebron ever gotten by the Celtics when he was with the Cavs? Where were the favorable calls for Lebron in those series? You want to talk about getting calls, what about in the closing moments of game 1 of Knicks Celtics when Ray Allen made the “winning 3 pt basket”. If you take your green glasses off you will see KG stick his foot out and trip Toney Douglas thats why Ray was “wide open” for that shot. If they call that an offensive foul for tripping the Knicks win that game. Maybe that’s the only one they win but who knows. KG gets away with alot of dirty plays that no referees call. They get their fair share of calls. You guys act like you’ve never won anything ever. From the time KG got to Boston the fix was in to “get KG a ring” because he deserves it.

  • Ryan

    Eastbballfan, did you not bother reading any of the statistics provided? The difference between this article and your response is the author actually provides evidence. You, however, give us your gut reaction and no support to back it up. The lopsided number of foul call both during the season and playoffs more than tell the story.

    I am watching game 2 right now and somehow Lebron is charging through people (to the point of injury to the defense) without offensive foul calls. It’s ridiculous.

  • depo

    Just the changing of the two fouls from a flagrant to a personal and from a personal to a flagrant would have vastly changed the game if they had been called correctly at the time. Throw in the farce of a tech on Pierce for saying something to Wade and the game becomes a joke. The Celts may have lost anyhow but the poor officiating removed any chance of a win.

  • Mary

    Ryan and Depo people only see what they want.The proof is clearly in the stats.

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