Tim’s Take
Starting at tipoff, the tone will be set for the entire series, with Javie, Callahan and Kennedy sending the message tonight. Whistles will be blown early and often, with the hopes of creating a non-physical flow to the game, and by extension the whole series.
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Once the players are beaten into submission by the whistle in the first quarter, the rest of the game should see fewer interruptions. Once adjusted, the focus will be on the players and not the officials.
Javie will control the game and require (with his whistle) that the players and coaches follow his guidelines so that the fans can enjoy a game without having to witness the players’ childish behavior.
Callahan will turn away from any controversy but will jump in early with his whistle to put the damper on any overly-physical play. His early calls will focus on hand checks above the foul line and bumps in the paint.
Kennedy will stay out of the way except for calling obvious fouls. If the game is close late in the fourth he will swallow his whistle and let Javie and Callahan control the outcome. Last year in Boston, Kennedy made several mistakes in the fourth quarter, making his appearance in these finals a bit shocking.
Official Betting Notes - Game 1
(Playoff games in parenthesis)
SU - Straight Up
ATS - Against the Spread
Ex. - Miami has gone 2-6 ATS when Steve Javie was an official in the 2010-11 season
Steve Javie
Miami: 2-6 ATS, including 1-1 ATS in playoffs (Mia/Bos G3, Mia/Chi G3)
Dallas: 2-3 SU/3-2 ATS, including 2-0 ATS in playoffs (Dal/Por G4, Dal/LAL G1) 3-1-1 to the OVER with Dallas
Mike Callahan
Miami: 4-2 SU/ATS, including 1-0 ATS in playoffs (Mia/Chi G3)
Dallas: 4-1 SU, 2-2-1 ATS, including 1-0 SU/ATS in playoffs (Dal/Por G1)
Bill Kennedy
Miami: 4-2 SU, 1-5 ATS, including 0-1 SU/ATS in playoffs (Mia/Bos G3)
Dallas: 5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS, including 1-1 SU/ATS in playoffs (Dal/Por G4, Dal/OKC G1)