Celtics

Refs miss three key calls against Celtics in last minute of game 5? COLOR ME SHOCKED

Dario Saric? FOULED. Joel Embiid? FOULED. Marcus Smart? TRAVELED. Refs’ whistles? SILENT.

Reminiscent of Roger Murtaugh being beaten with a rubber hose and having salt rubbed into his oozing wounds at the end of Lethal Weapon, the NBA released its final 2-minute report for game 5 and rubbed salt into the eyes of 76ers fans everywhere when the league admitted its refs missed three key calls in the last minute of the series.

NBC Sports Boston has the rundown of officiating ineptitude:

With the score tied at 109 and 41.8 seconds to play, the two-minute report indicated that Marcus Smart “initiates contact with (Dario) Saric and impedes him in the post” which according to the report, was an INC (incorrect non-call).

With Boston ahead 111-109 with 14.6 seconds to play, the report indicates that Aron Baynes “makes contact to Philadelphia’s (Joel) Embiid’s arm that affects his shot attempt near the rim.” The report deemed that an INC (incorrect non-call).

The article did not include the third missed call in the report, which was the missed travel by Marcus Smart after he intercepted Ben Simmons’ final heave down the court with 2.4 seconds.

UPDATE: Eagle-eyed reader @TheAmishTerp tweeted this to us of Al Horford potentially double dribbling after he picked up the Saric turnover. Is this a double dribble? Did he have possession? I don’t know…you be the judge.

Sour grapes? OH MY YES. Frustrating non-calls? Well…yeah. The only call 76ers fans should seriously be annoyed with is Baynes MAULING Embiid in the final 76ers possession, but is that ever called in the last 10 seconds of a game? Not really. And is there any assurance that Embiid would have actually made the two free-throws to tie the game? Nope. Or that Boston wouldn’t have made a shot on their next possession to rip the 76ers still beating hearts out of their chest?  Nope.

It probably wouldn’t have made too much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. You at least have a few bullets in the chamber now that you can wildly shoot at Boston sports fans as they crawl out of their dumpsters to celebrate the victory.

Like this loser.

Sweet hair plugs.

Oh well. I guess it’s on to ::shudder:: the Phillies season.

Speaking of the Phillies……

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The mere fact that Michael Wilbon is rallying against the 76ers gives me hope for the series

Michael Wilbon (who is still a thing at ESPN apparently) took a few minutes out of his busy schedule of telling people he knows Michael Jordan to express his UTMOST DISPLEASURE at T.J. “Billy Hoyle” McConnell’s OUTRAGEOUSLY DISRESPECTFUL game 4 moment when he dared to stare at his hand after torching Terry “I look like I should be fat” Rozier.

Philly.com has the transcript of the moment from yesterday’s PTI:

“I believe the Sixers are going to become hateable for the rest of the nation very soon,” Wilbon told co-host Tony Kornheiser. “Some little dude named T.J. is looking at his hand like he’s Shaq. Here’s what’s going to happen to T.J. in the next game: Terry Rozier is going to run over him like a truck, and he’s not going to do anything.”

Just bad point after bad point streaming out of Wilbon’s gaping maw. One, everyone already hates the 76ers. Two, Shaq is so cross-eyed there’s no way he could have ever stared at his hand that closely. Three, Terry Rozier is going to be far too busy jumping up at Joel Embiid like Little Mac with a star punch to do anything about McConnell’s antics.

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Just give me one win, 76ers

Like a terminally ill person on his deathbed who just wants to see the ocean one last time, all I’m asking for is one 76ers win before my plug is pulled and all I have left is the unending darkness and empty void of a summer filled with nothing but the Phillies.

Get me that win and then you can roll me into the deep end of the pool. I swear I’ll go happy with a minimum amount of fuss.

This season can’t end, because then all we’ll have left is the Phillies. A summer with the Phillies is like being stuck in limbo, but worse. At least in limbo you know you may have a chance at ascending to heaven after your sins are washed away. After this weekend with the Phillies, I don’t think any of us believe we have a chance to get to the playoffs with this squad.

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Is Meek Mill bad luck for the 76ers?

Unlike Christine Flowers, we’re a very pro-Meek Mill blog here at the Toboggan. Huge fans of that one song of his, “Dreams and Nightmares,” and his other hits…uhh…hmmm…okay so we’re not HUGE fans but the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles loved him so he’s A-OK in our book.

HOWEVER, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’ve noticed a disturbing trend since his release from prison after a possibly ill-willed judge sentenced him to an extraordinarily harsh prison term after probation offense.

To be clear about this, we’re very happy Meek Mill is a free man. He was imprisoned on a bullshit parole violation by a judge who may or may not have had an axe to grind, and we’re happy he’s out.

Facts are facts though. The 76ers are only playing .500 basketball since his release. While he was incarcerated? The 76ers were winning 75% of their postseason games, posting a sterling 3-1 record.

I will say, however, that the 76ers are 1-0 when Meek Mill attends a game and he’s going tonight up in Boston. Will this tip the scales in his favor?

Coincidence? Definitely. Should we all overreact? OH MY YES.

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We saw a sublime talent, destined to be one of the greats, debut for the 76ers last night

joel-embiid-shirley-templesIf you watched the 76ers kick off their 2016-2017 season in Boston last night, decades from now you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren that you saw one of the greatest Sixers to ever put on the uniform suit up for the first time in his long and successful career.

The energy was insane leading up to this game. Can anyone remember another time that this city got so pumped up for a 76ers preseason game? How about even a regular season game? It didn’t come close.

Twitter was bumping. The Hinkie-ites were out in full force, puffing out their chests, saying “look at what our fallen leader has done for you. Be thankful, Philadelphia.” Even the national media was paying attention, keeping at least one eye on the 76ers during opening night of the MLB postseason.

It was all because of one man. The man who so many have already labeled a savior of the organization despite only playing sparse minutes in one preseason game.

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