Before the playoffs started, the NBA told teams what referee’s “points of emphasis” would be in the postseason and one of the key ones was blows to the head — in a sports world concerned about concussions the league wants to limit these.
So how Josh McRoberts was not given a Flagrant 2 and an ejection for that foul on LeBron James late in the fourth quarter of Miami’s Game 2 win against Charlotte is beyond me. McRoberts led with his forearm and went above the neck, not even trying to make a play on the ball. I don’t care who does it or who gets fouled, that’s an ejection the way the league has wanted it called this season.
Expect the league to come down with at least a fine for McRoberts in the next 48 hours.
After a lot of criticism came down on referees around the league after how tight early playoff games were called, since then they have swallowed their whistles some. It’s been better... but a foul is still a foul. Particularly a potentially dangerous one like that.
