Projo Sports Blog

BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES -- In light of the Tom Donaghy news, you have to wonder how much coaches think that their whining about officials’ calls can affect a game. Phil Jackson says it does. Doc Rivers disagrees. Maybe that’s why Jackson made sure to call out the refs after Game Two when the Celtics shot 38 free throws and the Lakers only 10.

"Well, I do know it changes things," said Jackson. "I can remember a series that the Bulls had against Indiana in a series in which we put Scottie Pippen on Marc Jackson and ultimately denied him access to the court. (Pippen) just harassed him up the court, and Indiana went on and said he fouled and the consequence was that Scottie had three fouls and played six minutes in the first half of the next game. Those are the things that change. There can be that kind of swing."

Rivers quickly disagreed with Jackson.

"I don't think that's true. I think we all try to make that true. We all do it. It doesn't hurt to posture," he said

What made the Celts’ heavy foul shot disparity a reality was his team’s aggression, he said.

"Like I told you after the game, I thought we were the team driving and attacking. Sometimes I think when you start talking about being physical, you get that mixed up with fouling," said Rivers.

Jackson pleaded for an evenly-called game. The officiating team of Joey Crawford, Bennett Salvadore and Marc Wunderlich. The crew is one of the more controversial the NBA could have picked. Wunderlich, along with Crawford, was part of the crew that did not call a foul on Lakers guard Derek Fisher for banging into San Antonio's Brent Barry on the final play of the Spurs’ 93-91 loss in Game Four in the Western Conference finals. The NBA later admitted that it appears a foul should have been called on Fisher.

"For the most part, what we want is just good balance. We want just even balance," said Jackson. "When you're on the road, you want a good road game. You want something that's an even balance. When you're at home, you want a good game. You want a solid game You don't want it to go one way or the other, that's all, even calls."

The first half Tuesday night was hardly balanced, but Jackson was hardly complaining. The foul disparity went in the complete opposite direction, with the Lakers shooting 20 free throws to the Celtics' 4.

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