National Basketball Association changes foul calls of Miami Heat and Boston Celtics semi-final game
The National Basketball Association changed the fouls of Game 1 between Boston Celtics and Miami Heat after reviewing the film of the Eastern Conference semi-final.
The Heat defeated the Celtics, 99-90 in that game.
During the game, Boston’s giant Jermaine O'Neal received a flagrant foul-one in the third quarter with just 2:30 to go in the period. The foul was relegated to a personal foul after the NBA had another look at it.
As a result of O'Neal’s flagrant foul, Jones made two shots from the paint and Miami got an additional possession, during which Mike Bibby hit one from the three-point range. Until that point, the Heat was not in the additional benefit. However, if it had
been given as a personal foul at the time it occurred, Miami would only have obtained the ball on an off limit play.
On the other hand, Miami’s forward James Jones technical foul that came in 7:59 minute of the final quarter was withdrawn, but the foul he made on Boston forward Paul Pierce was upgraded to a flagrant foul-one.
Jones’ foul came when he hit Pierce's head on the play after he was caught in a feigned attempt at a jump shot. An angry Pierce went nose-to-nose with Jones, as their foreheads collided with each other.
Pierce was lucky that he was not suspended for head-butting Jones. Then, Pierce made two shots from the paint on Jones’ foul, but did not get the surplus possession.
Later, Pierce was ejected from the game when he received his second technical foul for taunting Dwyane Wade, just 59 seconds after getting his first.
Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers later requested that Wade’s foul on Pierce should be revised as a flagrant foul, but the referees denied it.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra clarified the situation, he said, “We’re physical teams, we’re defensive-minded teams, play a similar style of basketball and it’s the playoffs. That’s all it is. We’re not over blowing the physicality part of it. We’re not trying
to be somebody we’re not. They’re not trying to be anyone they’re not. … We know what our tenets are.”
The foul points are of great importance, as the changes can increase or decrease a player’s foul points, and in case of having more points a player can face suspension. A player gets one point for the flagrant foul-one and two points for the flagrant foul-two.
According to the NBA rules, "If a player's playoff total exceeds three points, he will get an automatic suspension following the game in which his point total exceeds three points."
This just does not end here as there are further penalties for each flagrant foul once a player crosses four points. If the player receives his seventh play-off flagrant foul, then he is suspended for one game.
For receiving every other technical foul after seven the player will get a one-game suspension and has to pay fines as well with each foul.
Chicago Bulls’ forward Carlos Boozer, Dallas Mavericks’ centre Tyson Chandler and Oklahoma City Thunder’s forward Kendrick Perkins are the only players of the league, who had so far received more than one technical in the play-offs.
Tags: