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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Suspended animation …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PHILIPS ARENA - Just when this series was really starting to get interesting Stu Jackson and the NBA Secret Police have to get involved.
It hasn’t happened yet. But the suspensions resulting from the pushing and shoving that went on during the second quarter of Game 4 is certain to cost at least a couple of guys a chance to compete in Game 5 Wednesday in Boston.
The Hawks could lose Marvin Williams, whose foot was barely touching the floor during the fracas. The Celtics could potentially lose much more - not only did Kendrick Perkins set foot on the floor, but Kevin Garnett shoved Eddie Rush when Rush tried to keep Garnett from going after Zaza Pachulia.
If the league follows the same letter of the law they did last season, when Phoenix lost both Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw in a crucial playoff game against the Spurs, then Williams and Perkins have to be gone for Game 5.
Garnett’s case is a bit tricky, though, in that someone will have to determine the severity of his actions and whether or not it was a blind reaction to the craziness going on around him or if he knew exactly what he was doing when he looked over at Rush, shoved him away and then went back to jawing at Pachulia and the other Hawks on the floor at the time.
Both Jackson and his boss, NBA Commissioner David Stern, were in the building Monday. So they shouldn’t have to spend much time checking the footage to make these decisions (though the league is notorious for waiting a day before rendering a verdict).
My guess, and it’s only a guess, is that they take both Williams and Perkins away and try and justify Garnett’s actions, if only to appear fair to the folks in Beantown.
But if, as Doc Rivers suggested before Game 4, Al Horford’s taunting of Paul Pierce deserved some sort of discipline from the league (didn’t happen), Garnett needs to be tossed for Game 5 for his actions.
Either way, someone will cry conspiracy. The punishment has to fit the crime here, so the sooner the action from the league the better.
What say you?
