The Boston Celtics were absolutely stomped by the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. They lost the game 107-88 and one of the biggest reasons for this defeat was the number of turnovers that the Celtics allowed.
Additionally, the Celtics also seemed to be unhappy with the officiating throughout the game. The biggest turning point in the game was when Draymond Green fouled Jaylen Brown on a three-point attempt which resulted in a fight between the two players.
Most fans expected that to be a double-tech call and sending off Draymond Green as he had already picked up a tech in the first quarter. However, the refs decided not to hand out a technical to either of the players.
Apart from that, there were many instances during the game where the refereeing simply looked lackluster. Following this huge defeat, the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was asked about his thoughts on this very matter. Tatum explained how he reacts when his team is unable to get foul calls in their favor.
(Starts at 4:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPb9S869z8A
“You just gotta be aware. I think I’ve been doing a better job. … I don’t know if I got a tech during the playoffs yet. I might have one, so I gotta pat myself on the back. I’ve been doing a lot better in that aspect. Trying to leave the refs alone regardless of what’s going on.
During the regular season, picking up technical fouls was a consistent issue for Tatum. But come playoff time, he has improved that aspect of his game. He is a lot more composed and isn’t getting into silly arguments with the refs.
Despite that, one might wonder how long he can maintain that level of composure? After all, the level of refereeing hasn’t been elite so far in the NBA Finals. Will that improve during the remaining games in the series? We have no way of finding that out as of now.
