It was an amazing finish, Cubano, but suspending Stoudemire and Diaw....you might as well hand the Spurs this series on a silver platter. Now that I've had time to think about it, I've come to the conclusion that Horry knew exactly what he was doing, and that the Suns players on the bench reacted exactly as he hoped they would. Unreal that the Suns FINALLY get over the hump in San Antonio but now face the prospect of two of their best players being suspended for something they did not initiate nor follow through with violence of any kind. In other words, they won the battle but will lose the war...otra vez.
they shouldnt suspend anyone. just let 'em play. this is playoffs basketball the way it should be. just like in the 80's with the hard fouls and intensity.
as much as i would hate for the suspensions to be handed down...the rule is there for a reason, and there is absolutely no way they wont get suspended...and to think it was like in the last 20 seconds that this happened...what an unfortunate turn of events for a team that came back from 12 or 13 points behind in the final minutes and turned the momentum in their favor heading back to phx...this will be a crucial blow ...they will lose horry who isnt that much of a factor and phx will lose 2 of their best players....I just hope they can pull it off...i am rooting for a phx vs cleveland final...:eek:
I didn't see it, but I agree that a rule is a rule. It's tough to lose a key player or two in the playoffs, but it's also important not to let a playoff series get out of hand. It's not like you play, then don't see the same team again for three weeks and have time to cool off. Why did Horry smack Nash? Payback, intimidation, provocation? I like the way phoenix plays, but I'm sick of their whining. They already get cut a lot of slack by the ref's, and they have a few guys who are not afraid to give a hard foul. San Antonio is a pretty classy team, in my opinion, and I think the dirty play accusations were outofline. I would think the Commissioner would be more concerned about players on one team mouthing off that their opponents are dirty players than what some retired guy says about gays.
Well, if the law is the law/rules are rules, then apparently Duncan and Bowen should be suspended as well: However, if the league decides to suspend Diaw and Stoudemire, it may have to suspend Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen as well. In a play that went entirely unnoticed until well after the game was over, both Duncan and Bowen actually left San Antonio's bench early in the second quarter after Francisco Elson and James Jones were entangled. Replays clearly show Duncan walking several steps onto the court as Elson and Jones appeared to be ready to get into it. Bowen then followed Duncan onto the floor, grabbed him and led him back to the bench. If the league does indeed follow the letter of the law, both Spurs players would also be suspended for Game 5. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...B?slug=sk-sunsspurs051507&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
You really think if it had been Jordan taking a couple steps off the bench area, that Stern would have suspended him?
Nope, and he violated the rules when he left the bench when there was a play in which that Euro dude was undercut... NBA officiating sucks, but we all know that, and saw that in the Lakers vs. Kings game 6 several years ago. This kind of shit hurts the NBA, as people want to see this series go 7 games, and though it is possible to win without Stoudamire and Diaw, add up there points and rebounds, and the bench now has to make that up. If we now end up with San Antonio and Detroit, it will be another snoozer, and I hope the rating suffer big time. Phoenix style of play, Golden State is what people want to see, not thugs in action. I am very disappointed in Horry, as I think he is a decent guy in general. Also, as pointed out by Charles and Kenny, now Phoenix has to go deep into their bench and use players that have not even played in the playoffs this year, and also means Nash and the other starters will log more minutes than normal, as well as major problems if Phoenix gets in foul trouble. Bullshit call, would never happen to Magic, Jordan, or Bird in a playoff series...
I love big shot bob,,,,,,,,but after 15 years in the league....come on...all he had to do is reach in with the left hand or even just bear hug him to get the foul call.....instead, he fucked him up, plain and simple....so far in this series, as much as im pulling for the spurs.....the refs and the league have allowed them to basically mess up Nash.....if the league was TRULY serious about the image...........they should sit down horry for three games....they already busted up his nose...what are they waiting for, a broken leg? torn ACL???
The suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw set a dangerous precedent. The next time your team is down, just send in your 7th or 8th man in (who averages 4 points a game) and have him mug the opposing team's star player. Then sit back and wait for the inevitable reaction from that team's bench. If you're lucky, you'll catch a big fish in terms of another of their important players (who averages, oh, say a double-double with points in the 20's per game). Or, as in this case, a star player and a very important backup. Voila!! The series is now back in your favor!! Goddamn Stern, what an idiot. No wonder he cancelled his scheduled attendance at Game 5 in Phoenix....