If there are some early calls on Heat guards reaching in bumping Brown, White, then it's probably over. There has to be some discussion about where the league wants to go, and the east series have gotten increasingly more physical and less entertaining. Refs setting the tone early in ECF is a great way to establish the kind of ball they want.
This is what I said in the gamethread before the game. I was right and wrong. the refs called a lot more trying to clean it up. But, the heat shot the lights out.
The NBA is at crossroads where they let too much go to favor the offence, some of the adjustment in officiating has as much to do with lost effectiveness of Harden, Kd, Kyrie as age, etc. I expect the whining by NBA players about France being too physical was not good for global marketing either. So the NBA is allowing more physical D, but like the Pistons then the absurd Reilly Knick defence, teams and players will push the limits.
As a historical fan of hoops, I am really loving seeing the skill of todays players, combined with a more physical play. Some of the finishes with contact this series by Jaylen, Butler, Smart, warm the heart of an old school guy like me.
But, officiating is really hard, especially when the game is changing, and they are having trouble, but I don't see a bias.
The big problems is this return of physical play is put into a culture that has rewarded flopping and allowed unlimited whining. I mean the stars always bitched, but now we have guys in gleague contracts not even dressed are on the floor bitching. Teams have 15 coaches and 15 player benches up on their feet every call. The Celtics have a guy who doesn't start, Grant Williams who throws a fit a runs around the floor three times a game. Plus guys like Lowry (and lets be honest some Celtics too) who fake injuries and are praised for dishonest, faking of contact and injuries.