Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn had some choice words for Eddie Rush, the referee in Game 5 of the Celtics-Magic series. Chances are, Rush and his crew of Tom Washington and Joe Crawford will enjoy them as much as Heinsohn appreciated the officiating Wednesday night: very little.
"The officiating in that game was incompetent,” Heinsohn told the Boston Herald. "Somebody as incompetent as Eddie F. Rush should not be officiating in these games. Pick the eight best guys and have the same crew on every game in a series. That way they’ll get used to what’s going on. Ed F. Rush is incompetent, and so is Tom Washington. What were these guys doing refereeing a game as important as this?"
The former Celtics head coach and player, as well as the current color commentator for Boston on Comcast SportsNet, Heinsohn aired his displeasure in the studio following the game in which Kendrick Perkins was ejected before halftime and a handful of Celtics felt the physical wrath of the Orlando Magic. Receiving the brunt of his rage was Dwight Howard, who is becoming infamous for his flailing elbows.
"I don’t know what’s going on," Heinsohn said. "They’ve got to look at this. Howard’s hurting people out there. He threw [Paul] Pierce down, and he threw Perk down in Game 4."
Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels both suffered concussions in Game 5, Rasheed Wallace's back pain returned, and Tony Allen tweaked an ankle injury. Though only Daniels appears to be a definite scratch for Friday night's Game 6 in Boston, there's no doubt the Celtics aren't quite at full strength.
Heinsohn believes the referees are to blame for that — just as they should be thanked if the Magic pull off an improbable, Philadelphia Flyers-like comeback and recapture the series.
"If Orlando wins this series, they’re going to call it the greatest comeback in the history of the game, and it’ll be (expletive)," he said.
