Official whine: Best says Iverson gets too many calls too often.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

INDIANAPOLIS _ Travis Best, whose unhappy assignment in the first round of the playoffs is to stay in front of Allen Iverson, is not pleased with NBA officials at the moment.

Best has fouled out of two games during the series, which the 76ers lead, two games to one, and could close out with a win on Wednesday over the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Basketball is often a game of percentages, and Best has studied the fouls whistled against him and come up with a numerical value for those calls.

"I think 50 percent of it is legit and the rest is garbage," Best said. "That's just the way I put it. I think it's ridiculous the way they're calling games. They have to do a better job. I know that Allen deserves calls because that's the nature of the business. He's like the `Mike' now. He's the leading scorer in the league and he's aggressive, and usually the aggressor gets the call. But there are a lot of plays when I feel like it's not necessary to make a call."

The "Mike" refers to the deference, and benefit of the doubt, NBA officials gave Michael Jordan in his heyday. That the Pacers believe that Iverson, who has never exactly been the league's role-model superstar, is getting the same treatment is sort of amazing. According to coach Isiah Thomas, the NBA didn't used to work that way.

"There doesn't seem to be any distinction (now) between champions and challengers. Shaq, Kobe and the Lakers should get the benefit of the doubt every time. They should get favorable whistles because you've got to knock out the champ. But challengers should not be treated as champions," Thomas said. "I think all the players in this league are hurt by that. They don't have to fight against each other ... and compete to see who really is the best. They are anointed the best."

Throughout the season, the Pacers have whined about officiating, offering the idea that a team working in so many young players isn't always treated fairly. In this series, Indiana's paranoia is reaching new proportions.