A Game 7 sells itself. Even more so, when a spot in the NBA Finals is on the line. And even more so, when two of the league's toughest and resilient teams in the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are desperately battling it out. Simply put, this decisive clash to crown the king of the Eastern Conference is difficult to ruin.
Well, some fans might be thinking the NBA is trying their best to anyways, following the announcement that Scott Foster and Tony Brothers will join John Goble in officiating the contest, via Keith Smith of Spotrac.com. Assigning two of the most polarizing referees to a Game 7 rife with historic implications and storylines will inevitably elicit some strong responses on Twitter.
It was probably best encapsulated by Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach. “Chaos,” he tweeted. Foster and Brothers have a tendency to make headlines when they work high-profile games, which is obviously the last thing fans want with the electricity and intensity expected to be uncontrollable in TD Garden Monday night.
Foster's track record with Chris Paul seems legendary at this point and Brothers was most recently sat one game for allegedly cursing at Spencer Dinwiddie last November. Additionally, there are also fans who just do not agree with the way they call games. Their presence alone will fuel speculation that the NBA is desperate to have the Celtics and their prestigious brand representing the East in the NBA Finals. Though, there are fans who have already zeroed in on some Florida connections amongst the refs. Keith Smith is bracing for all of the madness.
Hopefully a whistle or lack there of will not overshadow this monumental Heat-Celtics, Game 7 showdown. The focus firmly belongs on what feels like the biggest non-championship game in a long time.