While speaking at a charity luncheon in Atlanta, Hawks owner Michael Gearon Jr. called Celtics center Kevin Garnett "the dirtiest guy in the league," according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report [1] (via Celtics Town [2]).
"We don't get any calls, which I know everybody always hears," said Gearon. "But I'll give you a stat. [Tuesday] night, we are playing this old physical team. They are old. I know what happens when you play basketball, old guys foul. Garnett is the dirtiest guy in the league. We are playing Boston [Tuesday] night and they had two fouls the whole first half. We had five times that and we're athletic."
The Celtics were whistled for three personal fouls in the first half to Atlanta's 10 (19-13 in the C's favor by game's end). The Celtics took 27 shots at the rim in Game 5 to the Hawks' 19 -- one explanation for the discrepancy -- but the C's attempted only one more free throw. For the series, both teams have been called for exactly 99 personal fouls.
The most notable missed call of the series was a ball that went out of bounds in Game 1 off Josh Smith in the final minute of an 83-74 Hawks victory, but was called off Rajon Rondo by referee Marc Davis moments before a controversial foul on Brandon Bass that led to the infamous chest bump.
For more on the Celtics, visit weei.com/celtics [3].
Links:
[1] http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/05/09/atlanta-hawks-gearon-garnett-dirtiest-guy-in-the-league-hawks-dont-get-any-calls/
[2] http://www.celticstown.com/2012/05/09/hawks-owner-says-kevin-garnett-dirtiest-player-in-league-hawks-dont-get-enough-calls/
[3] http://www.weei.com/celtics
[4] http://www.weei.com/category/boston/celtics