“I called this crew average, and the whistle went quiet on us. Forty-six fouls and I still missed it, so that one's mine. Maxey picked up four and still dropped 32 on Cleveland. Average, my foot.”
MONTY, THE MORNING AFTER
HOW THE WHISTLE WENT
Thu, Oct 22, 2026 · Final
CLE @ PHI Cleveland at Philadelphia
THE CREWCurtis Blair(39)chief·CJ Washington(6)·Aaron Smith(43)
CLE 106PHI 114
- Total moved up 4
WHISTLE VOLUME
41.2
fouls per 100 possessions · −5.2 vs average
4,712th busiest of 13,603 games since 2015
OUR CREW READ
Missed
Read as average before tip-off; it came in −5.2 fouls per 100 vs average.
We print the misses as loud as the hits.
Fouls by quarter
CLE PHI
Expected vs actual
| Fouls / 100 | Free throws / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| CLE | 20.4 → 20.9 | 23.7 → 25.4 |
| PHI | 20.8 → 20.3 | 24.0 → 26.5 |
Expected before tip-off → what happened. Free throws: CLE 28, PHI 30.
Free throws: actual vs expected
Bar = free throws taken; tick = expected before tip-off.
The closer
13 Q4 fouls vs 10.7 a quarter before
Louder late
13 of the Q4 fouls came with the game within 10 points, 0 with it wider.
Foul-trouble watch: Tyrese Maxey (PHI)
4 fouls · 32 pts · 42 min
Key whistles
- Q4 1:19 LeBron James (PHI), shooting foul: close finish
Picked by rule (foul trouble, close finish), not graded right or wrong.
BEFORE TIP-OFF
CREW READ
PENDING
The league posts referee assignments about 9 a.m. ET on game day. The crew read lands here as soon as it does.
What this crew calls
vs league, 1.00× = average
A league-average call mix: no call type stands out.
- Offensive fouls and charges0.99×
- Shooting fouls1.00×
- Loose-ball fouls1.02×
- Take fouls1.02×
- Technical fouls1.00×
- Traveling0.96×
Per game in this crew's games since 2022-23, against league average; each official shrunk toward league until the games pile up. Every call counts for all three officials.
The free-throw battle
how busy each end should be
PHI should get to the line more: about 1.1 extra free throws.
When CLE have the ballLeans busy
quietleague middlebusy
CLE draw fouls: 6th most; get to the line: mid-pack. PHI commit fouls: mid-pack; give up free throws: mid-pack. Expected free throws for CLE: 26.1.
When PHI have the ballMiddle of the road
quietleague middlebusy
PHI draw fouls: mid-pack; get to the line: mid-pack. CLE commit fouls: mid-pack; give up free throws: mid-pack. Expected free throws for PHI: 27.2.
League ranks this season, out of 30.
Where they stand
CLE PHI
Overall
When they defend
When they attack
League rank out of 30 this season, 1st = best for the team: most points scored, fewest allowed, fewest fouls and free throws given up, most fouls drawn and trips to the line. The right-hand number is how many places the leader is ahead.
Pace
possessions per 48 minutes
97slower · faster113
- CLE 102.3 · 18th fastest
- PHI 102.5 · 14th fastest
- Expected tonight 102.4
- Actual 111.8 (+9.4 vs expected)
Crew’s pace lean: neutral (38th percentile of crews on the slate). Crews do nudge pace, but only by about 0.7 possessions between the fastest and slowest tenth; the teams decide almost all of it.
What to expect
vs league avg
CLE
26.1
free throws
PHI
27.2
free throws
Who’s out
CLE
Nobody listed
PHI
Nobody listed
The lines
DraftKings · open → close
| Total | 233.5 → 237.5▲ 4 |
|---|---|
| Spread | PHI -4.5 → -2.5 |
| Moneyline | CLE +145 → +114 · PHI -175 → -135 |
For information only. Prices move; check your book. 19+ (21+ in most of the US).
The crew read in detail: fouls, free throws and points vs the line
Fouls−0.1 per 100 poss not clear
Personal fouls by both teams per 100 possessions, against the league average, after allowing for the two teams.
Not clearly different from average: 80% likely between −0.8 and +0.6 per 100 poss.
n = 196 games (fewest on the crew). Each dot is one in twenty likely outcomes.
Free throws−0.3 per 100 poss not clear
Free-throw attempts by both teams per 100 possessions, against the league average.
Not clearly different from average: 80% likely between −1.2 and +0.6 per 100 poss.
n = 196 games (fewest on the crew). Each dot is one in twenty likely outcomes.
Points vs the line±0.0 points not clear
Final points minus the closing total in this crew's games. Near zero means the market already prices the crew.
Not clearly different from average: 80% likely between −0.9 and +0.8 points.
n = 196 games (fewest on the crew). Each dot is one in twenty likely outcomes.
Download the post-game card for sharing.
Counts and rates, not verdicts. One game is noise; we score the crew read by season: our track record.