Heat survive Rondo's huge night, win 115-111 in OT

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The biggest postseason comeback in Miami Heat franchise history wasn't enough.

The Heat needed more - and got it, digging deep to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 23 and the Heat rallied from 15 down to beat the Boston Celtics 115-111 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Mario Chalmers scored 22 for the Heat, who won despite an unbelievable night by Rajon Rondo. The Celtics guard played all 53 minutes and scored 44 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed eight rebounds."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heat-survive-rondos-huge-night-035813742--nba.html

[hughee99]

1. Great game, unfortunate outcome.

The Heat made a good run in the 3rd, but let the Celtics back in during the fourth with poor shooting from the floor and the line. They did a good job staying out of foul trouble and not letting fouls dictate playing time as it did with the Celtics. What was James thinking on the final shot in regulation? A fall-away from just inside the 3pt line being guarded by Rondo who he towers over? He should been much closer to the basket.

Congrats to Rondo, best player in tonight's game by far. The Celtics are going to need that from him every night to have any chance in the series.

[RiffRandell]

4. Yes.

And Chalmers was talking to shit to Rondo, who handled it with class. At least a deserved T was called.

[bigwillq]

2. WTG, Heat!

[wilt the stilt]

3. "missed" call on Rondo

actually affected the outcome. The Ref's just allow too much contact in the game. It really hurts the games in the long run.

[bluedigger]

5. "Part of the game"

Rondo's comment. James is undefendable with the arms and legs flailing.

[wilt the stilt]

6. James commits an offensive foul every time he goes right

he puts his left arm up as a shield and tho get separation. everyone I know who played organized ball thinks it's a foul.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Played Organized Ball, And I Don't Think It Is

And, i am NOT a fan of the Heat or of James. I don't hate him, but i'm not a big fan either. I acknowledge his talent and skills, but no more. But, clearing space with an arm when a defender is still making contact and moving is part of the game.

Basketball IS NOT a non-contact game. Hasn't been since they stopped using peach baskets.
GAC

[wilt the stilt]

15. name another player who

sticks out his arm as a battering ram. You can not stick your arm out

[ProfessorGAC]

24. You Need To Watch More Basketball, Wilt

Amar'e. Wade and Anthony clear space with their forearms. Blake Griffin pushes against the attempted blocker with his left arm on dunks. KG does the shoulder bump and then slides back for the shot on a post move. Kevin Love clears out anytime he's in the post. Tim Duncan uses the bump and shove all the time.

Do i really need to go on?
GAC

[wilt the stilt]

25. if they all do it then they are all fouling

when is it right that you as an offensive player can initiate the contact and you are not invading the defensive player's right to guard? they are all fouling. this goes back to shaq and a product of the 90's.
s
did Kareem, Bird or magic ever do it? Mchale didn't do it. This is really pretty inexcusable and allowed by the ref's.

explain to me where and why it is right for an offensive player under the rules to initiate contact.

[wilt the stilt]

27. Kerr just said if you use your arm

in the way I said it that it is a foul.

[RockaFowler]

7. 1st of all

Rondo was hit AFTER he shot the ball. Not before, not during, but AFTER. So no, he should not have gotten a foul shot for that.

2nd - why don't the Celtics drive to the basket more?? See that's how you get the fouls.

3rd - your little jab once again at LeBron is amazing. He is mauled every single time he gets to the rim and they called 12 of them. My goodness. I guess it's OK to maul LeBron & Wade just as long as the whiny Celtics fans get their way. No foul shots for them at all.

If the Celtics were as good a team as they were in the 1st half, they wouldn't have needed any of the foul shots in the OT. They just aren't as good as the Heat. That's all.

[JonLP24]

9. How long after?

When it comes to shooting fouls is did the foul occur during the player's shooting motion? It doesn't matter when the ball was released but if the player was in a shooting motion. If he was, it doesn't matter if it occurred before, after, or during.

I didn't watch the game - no cable - so that is why I'm asking how long after.

[RockaFowler]

10. The ball was out of his hands and near the rim

Wade came down and hit him after the ball was released and near the basket

[JonLP24]

11. So did Rondo complete his shooting motion

before the foul occurred? And by complete his feet were on the ground after jumping to attempt the shot.

[RockaFowler]

12. It looked complete to me

Have you watched the video??

It even looks like Rondo was doing a little flopping. You know that thing that Van Gundy hates when the Heat does it but it's OK when Rondo does it. The video I just watched it doesn't even look like Wade hit him at all. Oh well. The Refs gave them the game. Just like the rest of their games this year. Oh and the playoffs last year and the Finals. Whoops - I guess the Refs wanted Dallas to win that one.

[JonLP24]

13. I think

Van Gundy hates flopping in general (it doesn't bother me, it wouldn't be a problem if refs made the correct calls).

I can't find the video.

I have nothing against the Heat. I'm rooting for them for the rest of the playoffs though I like Boston too. I do find it funny wilt points to every call the goes for the Heat but was silent when Chalmers attempted a game-tying three pointer at the end of Game 2.

[RockaFowler]

14. I found it on NBC Sports.com

You know the fouls are only bad when the Heat commit them and don't get called. When everyone else man-handles the Heat it's OK.

[hughee99]

17. Which video did you watch? Did someone take one with a camera phone from the back row?

Perhaps this one will give you a better look.

You can argue all you want but you're going to have a hard time convincing anyone other than the most ardent of heat fans (such as yourself) that no foul was committed. It's not complicated, it was a blown call. It happens some times and it wont be the last in this series.

If you do want to persist in this argument, though, why not "go for it". Try to convince people that Rondo head-butted Wade's hand and that it should have been an offensive foul.

[trumad]

19. That was a blown call.

Look--- The Heat are taking it to the basket and when you do that, you're gonna get more calls.

Fact is---the Celts had a 15 point lead and lost. That's not because of bad calls.

[hughee99]

20. I haven't argued otherwise.

I was responding to the person who thinks there was no foul.

[trumad]

21. I know...

I'm just agreeing that it was a blown call.

[hughee99]

22. Sorry, threw me off guard since it's so rare we agree.

[bluedigger]

23. In general, I agree.

Except that the Celtics only have two guys who go to the basket - Pierce and Rondo. Want to guess how many fouls were called on them driving the paint in game 2?


"More" calls became "all the" calls.

[wilt the stilt]

26. ginobilli

just got fouled after hne released the ball for 4 point play

[wilt the stilt]

16. that is a foul

and it doesn't matter if he completed his motion. If you hit a shooter on a 3 point shot after he releases it is a foul. watch it..

[JonLP24]

18. By motion

I didn't mean ball leaving hands but rather feet returning to the floor to a normal basketball position.

On edit - In case I have to make this clear this in reference to a shooting foul and whether he gets free throws. Of course it will always be a foul but when I was mentioning motion I was arguing the difference between in-bounding and shooting free throws.