We’re expecting word from the League any second now about possible suspensions for the players involved in the scuffle in the Celtics/Hawks games last night. Here’s the video:
So funny listening to the Celtics’ broadcast on that clip. Play-by-play guy Mike Gorman, who despite being an unabashed super homer, is one of the best around, gets bent out of shape at Zsa Zsa Pachulia’s headbutt and the fact that the refs are reviewing the footage on “the Hawks broadcast,” but barely even mentions Kevin Garnett’s elbow to Pachulia’s throat and definitely doesn’t mention the fact that Garnett pushes away referee Ed Rush.
Whether your a Celtics fan or not, you don’t want to see Garnett suspended. At the same time though, the elbow and the ref shove combined are a little much. We’ll see what the League does with one of their favorites…
Do you think KG should be suspended?
April 29th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
rangerjohn says:
i think KG should for the simple fact that the ref had him pulled out of it, and he pushed the ref off and went back at zaza. on the other side zaza should be suspended indefiantly FOR HAVING A GIRLS NAME lmoa
April 29th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Diego says:
Garnett is a punk, who the Hawks have no trouble clearing out of the paint when he tries to post up. (He was a mouse for the rest of the game after he realized Zaza could crush him.)
The only guys the Hawks frankly can’t stop are sweet Ray and Rondo.
But no matter how much I hate the Celts (and love the Hawks), I don’t think I’m down (for the good of the playoffs and the league) with suspending Garnett for the next game.
April 29th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Prof. TX says:
Garnett is hurting his reputation this year. He needs to retire someday with a clean record as a hard worker that played with a fierce enthusiasm. Now he’s developing this reputation as trying to bully smaller guys and take cheap shots and (unsuccessfully) intimidate other teams with crazy posturing.
Let it go KG, you’re better than this. Winning speaks more than any amount of posing and ‘tough’ behavior. Nobody talks about how good Kobe or LeBron would be in a fight, but they respect those guys because they could knock your team out of the game.
April 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Juanito says:
I love KG (wish he had gone to Phoenix) but he needs to tone down the out-of-control antics. The jersey popping was embarrassing enough, but allowing some schlub like Zaza to goad him into freaking out was plain dumb…
April 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
wow. This is awesome. It’s bad either way. If they suspend Garnett, then the Celts are in DANGER and if they lost the series, it would SUCK for the NBA after they did this whole “Celtics Pride” campaign.
if they DON’T suspend Garnett, it would make them look SOOOO bad, cause they’re obviously protecting dude and then you’ll ask about all the other past playoffs where suspensions changed the face of the series. I can’t wait for the answer. And I hope he gets knocked out of a game (and honestly should get TWO for pushing a ref)!
April 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
PALakerFan says:
Guarantee Celts come out of this series. No way is Stern letting this golden ticket get bounced by ATL! Too much money in the Celts making the Finals. All calls will go in favor of Boston when the series is on the line.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
fallinup says:
It seemed like it was contained and no suspensions should come. But I’ve been wrong before about the wishy washy NBA front office. KG pulled away from the ref…but in all, he didn’t antagonize anything and didn’t raise his hands at all. Pachulia did confront KG with his forehead, but really, it wasn’t that bad. If anyone does get suspended, that would be a shame for the sake of a good series going on.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Prof. TX says:
Zaza has nothing to lose here, and KG needs to remember that. If these two ended up in a fight, a suspension for each player hurts Boston way more than it hurts Atlanta. It’s like LeBron or Kobe picking a fight with some bench player, much higher risk for the star’s team.
Not a bad idea really, teams keeping a 12th man spot with the role of ‘instigator.’ It seems to work, like flopping or hack-a-shaq. Maybe then some rules will change.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Saba says:
I am not a phx fan, but what stat did last year (stepping on the court)… and he got a one game for that….pretty sure KG should get one too.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Prof. TX says:
One guy from each bench (I forget who) also got a step onto the court here too, but just barely. It’s visible in some of the replays, so that might matter.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
yoda says:
as much as i love KG, im glad someone finly showed teeths to him. hes been pushin’ too much this year, wanted to scare everyone. i almost felt sorry for those kids in portland whole year.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Bobby B says:
I’m pretty sure that Marvin Williams and Kendrick Perkins both stepped on the floor. If last year is any indication, and the NBA wants to save face, both guys should be suspended. I think it’s a stupid rule and should be open for interpretation, but the league doesn’t think the same way. The league goes by the letter of the law, so I would expect Williams and Perkins to be suspended one game.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Jim says:
It’s Marvin Williams and Kendrick Perkins who stepped on the court. I didn’t even consider KG getting a suspension last night, but watching that video…man, that was incredibly stupid to push the ref.
I don’t know what the NBA does here…my bet would probably be on a massive fine. But I don’t think the NBA has played favorites, considering no one in NY or at Disney wanted PHO to beat SA last year, and those suspensions were bigger than this would be. I don’t think he should be treated differently, and what he did is worse than what Amare did, but I don’t know if the rule on this is as black and white as the sideline rule. If it is…
No excuses, though. They are the #1 seed facing what (as far as records go) is a historically bad playoff team. They still should win the series if he takes a game off.
And I don’t see how the Celtic’s folks can bitch like Zaza was playing the thug role there. He maybe fouled KG and he got an elbow in the throat. Walking back up into him cussing isn’t like he’s Tie Domi (or whatever that dude’s name is).
April 29th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
dave says:
kg pushed the ref, so he’ll probably get a game.
imo, the league should let it go.
on another note, it’s funny listening to these homers.
“that’s a head butt”
if that’s a head butt, then kg elbowed zaza and the ref tackled garnett
April 29th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Diego says:
I don’t know how this will play out, but I had a pretty good vantage point at the game, and the guy who pissed me off on the whole thing was Sam Cassell. You don’t see it in the video, but after the initial ruckus between Garnett and Zaza, Sam was chest bumping everyone in site on the court to supposedly try to get in on the action. (Perhaps this is why Sam didn’t see much court action thereafter.)
April 29th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Jim says:
err, correcting my #13…no one at NBA or Disney wanted Phoenix to lose.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
control says:
Why did KG elbow the guy? Didn’t even look like he did anything, can’t blame ZaZa for getting in KG’s face after taking a bow in the throat. Then having KG get mad at him after he just busted an elbow into the guy, wtf? I like how KG has passion and shit, but this type of shit is just retarded…anyone remember that story about him cheap shotting that one guy who was just drafted to the Wolves in the nose because he was going at KG too hard?
KG pushing the ref out of the way is enough for a suspension…it’s in the rules somewhere that if you initiate any sort of agressive act towards an offical, you eat a suspension. I’m not sure on the exact rule though, but I remember someone running into an offical by mistake and getting suspended for it.
If suspensions aren’t handed out, I doubt I am even going to watch the rest of the playoffs. Just like the Suns-Spurs shit last year, this is something that will just taint the whole playoffs if handled incorrectly.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
rootsradical says:
Zasa was pulling Garnett’s shoulder so KG retaliated. I think it should be settled as a techical for everyone that got one and left at that. no more no less. this series (which let’s face it, everyone thought would be at most five games if not a sweep) is turning into the most exciting and intense stand off this year. kicking anyone out for a game just wouldn’t do what this seiries has turned into any justice. forget what happened to the suns, the league fucked up there and lets hope they don’t do it again.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Yoooooooo says:
Kg’s a fag. He always tries to get at white guys he thinks won’t defend theirselves. Hed never get tough with Sheed or any player in the league with a tat. I’ve never liked his on the court attitude, he tries to be so thug, then afterwards throws on his droopy ass sweater vest with a 6x tshirt underneath lookin like a dick peekin out. Pick a demeanor dude, or at least have the guts to get at someone who would come back at u the same way.
He should definitely be suspended. Magic got suspended his 2nd go round for a lot less ( lol anybody remember when he bumped the ref with his stomach??).
April 29th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
control says:
Oh yeah, 1:35 in that video, Joe Johnson looks like the most scurrrrrred person I’ve ever seen. Him and Melo should have a moonwalking race, I bet he’d give Melo a run for his money.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
daquest?on aka YoUnG cArLi BaByyyyyyyy says:
kg is a punk and all he does is talk alot of crap ask zaza he said hes taken all that crap 4 eight years and hes tired of it good for zaza to step up it was about time
April 29th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Prof. TX says:
Well, it’s official. Zero suspensions or fines.
A ref was pushed and two guys left the bench by a couple of steps (kinda like PHX last year).
Yeah, that’s a consistent commissioner for you.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
daquest?on says:
thats such bs i dont like david stern because when he wants something done he bends the rule, i bet that if the celtics wanted to move frm boston he wouldnt let that happen but since he doesnt care about the sonics hes gonna let them mve…way to go commissioner
April 29th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
kowtz says:
“The Kid” needs to grow up…
Why punish a ref for allegedly fixing games, when the commissioner does it in front of the media????
Oh, and PHO-SAS series last year was decided by a “by the book’ suspension… BULL!
April 30th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Ross says:
I take back anything I ever said about the Rocket’s announcers being the biggest homers.
This wasn’t nearly as bad as the Suns last year running on the court though.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Suciniac says:
I am a big KG fan but it’s painfully obvious he’s not scaring anybody in the league.He never backs up when opposing players retaliate.He should be more like Duncan and kill other teams with his play….he’s fooling only himself by trying to act tough.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:35 am
banga says:
that should have been a suspension…
sheed was right.. it’s a conspiracy.. they just wanted lebron in the finals… and now they want to make sure boston gets to the finals… that was bullshit
April 30th, 2008 at 10:29 am
doc says:
The league should know by now all you have to do is jump in KG face in he turn from super gangsta to super bitch in less than 2 seconds.