Derrick Rose has averaged 6.5 free throws a game so far in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is down just slightly from the 6.9 trips to the line he averaged during the regular season.
But Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was expecting a lot more.
And he’s blaming the officials. Kind of. In an “I don’t want to get fined” kind of way, as reported at the Palm Beach Post.
“He hasn’t been able to get to the line like we thought he would,” the Bulls coach said. “There’s a lot of contact, and he hasn’t gotten calls.”
The fact is the referees have let this be a physical series for the most part — as they should in the Eastern Conference Finals. The game should get more physical and the referees should let them play at this point in the season.
Part of being a champion is being able to adjust and play through that. The Heat are dealing with it much better right now.