Jordan Poole should prepare for his induction into the flopping Hall of Fame. Appropriately, maybe his plaque will be placed next to Marcus Smart’s.
Tatum and Brown keep getting in their own way
Smart was jockeying with the Warriors guard for positioning before an inbounds pass early in the fourth quarter during Monday’s Game 5, when Smart stuck out his hand in the general vicinity of Poole’s face. Incredibly, Poole fell backwards, even though Smart didn’t appear to make contact with him.
It was an acting job that would’ve even made a Hollywood producer blush. Understandably, Smart was miffed about the horrible call. So referee Tony Brothers decided to slap him with a technical.
You gotta love the accountability.
Earlier in the game, Grant Williams was whistled for a foul against Gary Payton II, even though the guard tripped over his own legs.
The Celtics may not have been that physical, but the ghosts floating around Chase Arena apparently were.
Like most NBA playoff series, the uneven and occasionally mystifying officiating has been a subplot during this Finals. The tit-for-tat started in Game 2, when Draymond Green wasn’t T’ed up for tangling with Jaylen Brown on the floor, and refusing to get up.
After the game, Green boasted about the leeway he receives from NBA officials. Naturally, Scott Foster was assigned to Game 3 in Boston, and Green fouled out.
We’ll see if the Garden ghosts attack the Celtics in Game 6, and if they receive some whistles for their troubles.
History says “yes," especially since a Celtics win would result in a Game 7.