Very little went according to plan for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the team’s first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. After a dismal first quarter that left the Celtics in a 15-point hole, the end result never felt in doubt, and while Boston still seems to be in control of the proceedings, the margin isn’t quite as comfortable.
Following the game, however, Celtics forward Marcus Morris put forth an interesting theory and it revolved around the officiating. The 28-year-old wasn’t reckless enough to suggest that the referees were the reason for what became a 24-point loss, but in speaking with Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Morris did posit that the officials entered the game with something of an agenda against him.
“I can’t even speak on it, man,” Morris responded when prompted about a technical foul he received in the third quarter. “It’s been the same sh*t all year. I’m expecting it. They knew what they wanted before the game started. They knew who they wanted to go after. So that’s on [the referees].”
Morris’ complaint reportedly stems from an incident in March in which he was ejected and patted a referee after the deed was done. This time around, Morris seemingly believed that he was openly targeted by referee Sean Corbin, who gave him the only technical foul assessed during the lopsided Game 3.
While some of this belief almost certainly stems from frustration following an unexpected blowout loss, Morris simply stating his belief that the referees “knew what they wanted before the game started” is certain to draw some attention. In turn, it will be interesting to see how Game 4 is refereed, especially through the prism of Morris, and the next contest could also be pivotal in deciding the winner of what has been a strange series to this point.
