Because of Game 1, Boston has had to switch up its gameplan. Doc Rivers was upset over 19 uncontested layups/dunks by the Heat. After Game 1, Rondo came out and said the Heat need to "Hit the deck." Then, "It's got to get more physical from our part,'' Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. So, Boston started challenging shots at the rim and fouling on Miami fast breaks. As should be expected, the fouls and FTAs came along with it in Game 2. Yet, Boston fans and others who root against Miami looked at the box score and made claims about how the refs were biased. No. This was Boston's game plan, to get more physical. But it could be just a small part of a much larger gameplan.

After the game, a member of Boston's management then complained about the officiating. Doc Rivers also complained.Then ESPN and Adrian Woj wrote articles about those complaints and discussed the play where Rondo was fouled. And because of this, Boston may have lost the Game 2 battle, but also won the war, with words. Boston has continued to play physical, but the calls are not being made. Take Game 3. Dwyane Wade had several attempts at the rim that were challenged in Game 3. But not one whistle on a shot attempt. He took no FTs in the entire game. Dooling wrapped up LeBron on a fast break with a ref staring at this transpire, yet the whistle would not blow. On several challenged shots in the paint, it appeared KG and Pietrus fouled, yet the whistle did not blow. Boston has been able to grab jerseys and grab arms of the ball-handler, with no calls made. Shane Battier had a turnover as a result of a Boston defender grabbing his arm while he was dribbling. Boston is getting away with shoving players as they receive a pass and shoving players when they are going up for rebounds. Yet Miami is getting whistled for these defensive fouls. Miami had a play with Boston inbounding and a shirt was grabbed, so Boston went to the line and then got the ball. KG elbows Mario Chalmers in the head out of frustration, yet there is no flagrant called. These are just the physical plays. I haven't even went into the other crazy calls the refs made with kicked balls and a bogus offensive goaltending call on Wade.

It was the same story for Game 4. Wade goes to the rim on multiple drives, no call made. He took 5 FTs in the game, and I contend that he should have taken 9, if the refs were calling it correctly. KG pushed LeBron and got him off balance and then drives his shoulder into LeBron. LeBron falls and the refs call a double foul? Dwyane is on a fast break and gathers the ball to shoot. Rondo wraps him up and if that was any other game... that's called a shooting foul. Rondo got shooting fouls when he didn't actually get the ball out of his hands in Games 3 and 4. Yet, in this case, it wasn't called a shooting foul. Or what about Ray Allen landing completely out of bounds with the ball, yet the refs don't notice. Yet they do notice when Dwyane's toe is touching the line.

Are the refs scared of Boston? Are they trying to appease the Boston fans? What is going on? It is obvious to this observer that there are a large number of dubious calls going in favor of Boston since the series shifted to Boston. Enough bad calls to affect the outcome of these games.

Boston is hacking Miami players just as much as they did in Game 2. Yet, ever since they complained about officiating.... the refs have stopped calling many of their hacks. If this is Boston's gameplan, its working.