The 2010 NBA Finals: Where Touch Fouls Shouldn’t Happen

The first two games of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have been nothing short of entertaining to watch with the Lakers taking game one 102-89 and Boston stealing home court advantage with a 103-94 win last night at the Staples Center.

Rajon Rondo's triple-double, Ray Allen's stunning shooting performance, and Kobe Bryant being plain Kobe Bryant have made a series that was already worth watching only more anticipated to see how it all pans out. Last night's win for the Celtics featured all of this, as well as Andrew Bynum's breakout game, 21 points, seven blocks, and six rebounds, as well as Pau Gasol putting on yet another show to the tune of 25 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks.

Alas, we still have a recurring problem. A loud, annoying recurring problem. It's a sound we heard go off a total of 58 times for game two and 54 times for game one. Not only that, but it allowed a combined 67 free throws to be attempted in both games one and two.

It's the referees whistle and it needs to be silenced.

The NBA finals pits the two best teams from each conference in a seven game series to determine who truly is the greatest basketball team in the world. It is supposed to represent who can truly step up when they are needed, who has the physical and mental toughness to withstand a seven game series against a single team, and who has the higher ambition and desire to win the Larry O'Brien trophy and forever be enshrined in the annuls of NBA finals lore.

The NBA finals is not a representation of who can draw the most touch fouls and get to the free throw line more. The Los Angeles Lakers shooting 41 free throws is not the NBA finals. Seeing Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant sit out most of game one and two respectively thanks in part to a plethora of ridiculous fouls is not the NBA finals. 58 personal fouls combined by both teams are not the NBA finals.

Yet here we are and nearl...

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