If Bulls backup Nazr Mohammed had an alternative motive when he snapped during the second quarter of the Heat’s 104-94 victory Friday, LeBron James was not going to take the bait.
After all, the four-time MVP knows being ejected along with a 15-year journeyman is not a fair swap.
“Listen, if I get kicked out and Nazr Mohammed gets kicked out at the same time, they win,” James said after the Heat took a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Mohammed took a run at James in response to James swinging his elbows after being fouled by Mohammed in the open court 40 feet from the basket. Mohammed had already been whistled for the foul and James given a technical. The shove, which staggered James, sending him back one step before he fell backwards, came as James was pleading his case to referee Joey Crawford and not even paying attention to Mohammed.
Both players weigh 250 pounds while the 6-foot-10 Mohammed holds a two inch height advantage. Still, that did not preclude Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau from questioning the authenticity of James’ fall.
“From my angle I saw a guy basically flop,” Thibodeau said.
James restrained himself reacting when told of Thibodeau’s comment late Friday and was not asked about Nate Robinson’s comments to Yahoo! Sports: “You see LeBron in a lot of commercials, lot of good acting,” he said.
The NBA will have its say. If the league believes James flopped he could be fined $5,000, as three other players have this postseason. Or, Mohammed could be suspended for Monday’s Game 4, which will be in the United Center.
If there were some sinister plan to attempt to provoke James and get him tossed, the Bulls certainly won’t confess. In fact, Mohammed went to Twitter later in the night to apologize.
“sorry for my overreaction & being ejected. I blacked out & just reacted after I was pushed down. I’m happy it only resulted w/ a push,” he tweeted
That was following by, “Hopefully if I’m in the same situation again I will control my emotions but u never know what ur instincts will do.”
James knows what’s at stake with the Heat in a much more difficult battle than many expected against the undermanned Bulls. And even though for the first time in a long time James was not the Heat’s best player on Friday — he wasn’t even second best with Chris Bosh and Norris Cole dominating the game — he did overcome a poor shooting night (6-of-17) with 10 points in the final 2:35.
“I sat right there, let my teammates help me up,” James said of the post push. Ray Allen was the one to offer his hands. “I mean way too much to my teammates to try to retaliate. Don’t make no sense.
“If it would have happened on the playground, it would have been a different story because I had a bunch of friends, a bunch of buddies that would have not allowed that. I haven’t been in a situation like that before, but I’m too cool. … My mind is in another place right now.”
It’s rare that anybody takes a run at a superstar, especially nowadays when any hint of violence usually is met with an ejection. If this were the 1980s, James may have bounced up, shoved back, and both players would have been given a technical foul and remained in the game.
But James did exactly what Thibodeau has been preaching his Bulls must do as this series becomes more physical. Chicago has been without guards Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich and forward Luol Deng, leaving it severely shorthanded. The Heat’s bench has outscored the Bulls’, 121-49, in the series.
The last two games have produced 12 technical fouls, three ejections and two flagrant fouls. The Bulls have eight of those technicals and all three ejections. Losing Mohammed hurt considering only Joakim Noah was available to guard the 6-11 Bosh. Bosh in turn had his best game of the playoffs with 20 points and 19 rebounds as Noah played more than 42 minutes and fouled out in the final seconds.
Mohammed’s presence could have saved some of those minutes for Noah, who then may have had more success against Bosh, especially in the fourth quarter when Noah had four fouls, fouling out in the finals seconds.
Or perhaps Thibodeau is OK with Mohammed’s reaction. After all, in Thibodeau’s eyes Mohammed deserved a flagrant foul at the worst.
“He hasn’t done anything but play hard,” Thibodeau said. “I’m watching some of the plays with (Udonis) Haslem and (Chris) Andersen and I don’t get it. I didn’t think it warranted an ejection. I understand a flagrant foul, but an ejection? Nope.”
Thibodeau also used the post-game podium to continue his rant against the officiating, even alluding to some type of conspiracy.
“We’re well aware of what’s going on,” he said. “I’m watching how things are going. I watch very closely. What I’m seeing is … we’ll adjust accordingly.”
