Take That, Take That
Kevin Garnett (photo. Gary Land)On Saturday you got an idea why those people who decidedly don’t like Kevin Garnett don’t like him. With four minutes left in Celtics/Bucks, KG raked Andrew Bogut’s arm coming through the lane, after which Bogut kinda-but-not-really “Kobe‘d” KG on the follow-through and caught him in the face. Garnett blindly — but 100% intentionally — hit Bogut back in the face, and the refs hit both guys with techs; which meant Bogut was gone since he’d gotten a T earlier in the game. Obviously the Milwaukee crowd didn’t like this turn of events, but the Bucks color analyst (Scott Williams?) was livid. He decried the whole thing as disgusting and disturbing and a travesty and every other apocalyptic word in the book, and when historically bad free throw shooter Dan Gadzuric came in to shoot Bogut’s free throws and nailed them, the analyst hissed, “TAKE THAT!” For the next couple minutes he complained some more, mainly pissed off that KG (15 pts, 7 rebs, 4 blks) was the aggressor in the face-slapping incident and got to stay in the game while Bogut sat. It kept going until the play-by-play man essentially told him, “OK, shut up. We get it. Let’s go back to the game.” … After that, though, the Bucks seemed to rally together when they really had no business being in the game. With Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva hurt and Bogut ejected, their crunch time lineup was Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions, Richard Jefferson, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Gadzuric. Down by two in the final seconds, Ridnour blew past Ray Allen for a layup that surprised everyone in the building with 1.4 seconds to go, forcing overtime. Nothing fancy about the play, and Ridnour wasn’t the first option, but he skated past Ray similar to the way Ray dusted Sasha Vujacic way back when … KG fouled out in OT, for which crowd EXPLODED — not sure if it was because they knew KG was gone or because they knew Brian Scalabrine was coming in — and it seemed like Milwaukee had the game in their pocket when Ridnour beat Ray again and dimed Gadzuric for a dunk to give them the lead with a minute left. But Ray (27 pts) redeemed himself, getting to the line with 25 seconds and sticking a pair of go-ahead free throws, and some shaky Bucks’ decision-making after that spelled the end … What’s going on with the Hornets? They haven’t been the same since Josh Smith and the Hawks grounded that seemingly unstoppable offense about a week and a half ago, going 2-4 over their last six games and looking uninspired even in the games they’ve won in that stretch. Here’s Chris Paul after last night’s loss to the Rockets: “We expect so much of ourselves. We have to reach down inside and bring more energy every night. Every time we step on the court, we have to fight and play hungry and not just go through the motions.” CP (12 pts, 12 asts) was getting bottled up by the Rockets whenever he got into the paint, and it didn’t help that he turned his ankle in the second quarter, although he came back and played the rest of the game … On the other end, Yao (21 pts) was picking Tyson Chandler apart with mid-range J’s and baseline spins that Tyson somehow couldn’t keep up with. It’s not like Yao was doing anything faster than Tyson, he just beat him to the spot time after time … And when did Devin Harris turn into this year’s Chris Paul? No one has noticed because he plays for the Nets, he’s not Jay-Z’s boy and he has bad timing (getting hurt right after the breakout game against Iverson), but Devin’s last three stat lines look like this: 38 points; 30 points and 8 dimes; 33 points and 10 dimes. The last two came against the Hawks, the last one was last night, and we’re pretty sure Mike Bibby wouldn’t mind never seeing Devin again … Carlos Boozer must have had a Tim Duncan moment when he looked up right before tip-off against the Cavs and saw himself surrounded by Kosta Koufos, C.J. Miles, Ronnie Brewer and Ronnie Price. And all this while Booz was (still) getting booed by Cleveland fans whenever he breathed. While Boozer was good for 17 points and nine boards, he couldn’t do anything to stop LeBron, who scored 16 in the fourth quarter and finished with 38 points, five boards, seven assists, two blocks and two steals in the Cavs’ seventh win in a row … The Pacers gave away their game in Chicago with a bunch of dumb turnovers. And when Indy needed stops, they didn’t have an answer for Derrick Rose (23 pts, 8 asts, 3 stls) in transition or Andres Nocioni (20 pts, 11 rebs) catching and shooting. Rose created the dagger when he hit Larry Hughes (who’s playing in a long-sleeved shirt since coming back from the shoulder injury) with a perfect outlet touchdown pass that traveled 90 feet in the air and hit Hughes right in stride for an and-one … Is it just us or does Luol Deng take like 60 percent of his shots from the baseline? He’d be a 20-ppg guy easy if he took less difficult shots … No idea why the Pacers wore their yellow road unis to play on the Bulls court when they could have went with blue and not hurt our eyes. Thanks for intentionally making the game harder to watch … E-mail sent at the beginning of Clippers/Warriors: “Who is Anthony Morrow and why is he starting for the Warriors?” E-mail sent near the end of the game: “Why does Anthony Morrow have 37 points?” In one of this season’s first genuine “Where the HELL did that come from?” moments, Morrow — who did his thing with the Nets summer league team but wasn’t exactly getting Rookie of the Year talk — went nuts on the Clips in just his fourth appearance of the year and the first time he’d played more than 15 minutes, adding 11 boards in the process. Meanwhile, Donte Greene still can’t get off the bench in Sacramento. And that’s why they say the draft is an inexact science … We’re out like Bogut …
November 16th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Steve Nasty says:
KG can be very annoying with his antics, he needs to get a grip.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Sam says:
KG’s antics are getting old, real fast. He’s a great player though and no one can deny it. But I find it very difficult to root for him anymore.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Nora says:
Maybe the announcer should be mad at Bogut for getting the 1st tech so he had to be thrown out. Again, you would not bet that annoyed if KG was traded to your fav. team.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Bruce says:
With KG — Anything is possible!
November 16th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Nora says:
Guess you couldn’t root for MJ, Larry Bird etc. either. These things happen in NBA games. Guess people better stop watching sports because players in every sport get into fights.
November 16th, 2008 at 5:05 am
smity far away says:
scott williams, stacy king- are both terrible…QQ said it in the other post on Morrow and golden state. don nelson is crazy sometimes so we’ll see if he even plays next game.
lot of good/big surprises this year
adam morrison paying well and contributing and sean may getting pt. robert swift starting at center. maybe marcus williams, curry and other notables will make comebacks too will get off the bench too
November 16th, 2008 at 5:26 am
BENNYHILL says:
Fuck KG… He thinks he is above the game and the refs let him get away with it… So maybe I should be saying fuck the refs… No one else would get away with it
November 16th, 2008 at 5:32 am
josh tha roc says:
Morrow IS Chris Tucker.
November 16th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Nora says:
And no one else in the league gets into fights…Give me a break. Bennyhill if this kind of thing upsets you better stop watching because there are going to be fights and their already have been and not all of them involving KG.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:09 am
BENNYHILL says:
I don’t have a problem with fights… I don’t like cheap shots… And his attitude over the last couple of weeks is just arrogant and disrespectful
November 16th, 2008 at 6:24 am
sans says:
In that the last two years KG has been all about cheap shots…pushing players that dunk on them intentionally and nonstop jawing…I liked him better in Minnesnota where his “passion” was over his intense desire to win with a shitty club at his back…he has no reason now. Remember that Lebron dunk, where KG shoved him for no reason, just because he got to his spot way too late to stop Bron. The refs should have thrown him right there from the game.
and there is no stopping Derrick Rose…ROY barring injury
November 16th, 2008 at 6:47 am
BENNYHILL says:
I hear you on Rose… He has made a massive difference to the Bulls… Will be interesting to see how he carries the massive workload through 82 games and possibly playoffs… But certainty for ROY…
What about that game from Morrow tho… I hope he keeps it up for fantasy purposes
November 16th, 2008 at 6:47 am
CT says:
I’m sorry, but people really need to stop complaining about KG. He’s been doing all of this stuff for over a decade now… and all of a sudden, after he wins a championship, everybody has a problem with it? Don’t say he wasn’t doing it in Minnesota, he ways. Nobody gave a damn because he was a loser. Nobody gave a damn because we weren’t seeing him twice a week on national television. I honestly believe it’s either you hate that he does this with a championship, or you just got tired of seeing it so much since he arrived in Boston. While in Minnesota, how many times did we get KG on national TV from ‘05-’07? I mean, I read all the media previews and analysts/writers all question “whether or not KG will have his intensity” now that he got a ring. What’s he do? Comes back playing the same way he has for over 10 years… and the same folks questioning him are now criticizing him. You just can’t please some people. At least we know KG isn’t one to listen to opinions of others, or else he’d be playing with the intensity of a grade 6 girl right now. This is the NBA, not junior high… some of you are too soft, they’re grown men.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:52 am
iLL Mago says:
What’s happening with the Hornets the people at dime ask? two words – NO PARGO
November 16th, 2008 at 7:19 am
knoc says:
hahahah totally forgot about jannero pargo.
November 16th, 2008 at 7:26 am
rodnets says:
KG looks like he is always high or something… I saw him yesterday in an old NBA TV documentary and my three year old kid got really scared at his “energy” faces and speech. He was saying that being on the court is like being in a field with long grass (¿?) and inhaled exhaled…spooky
November 16th, 2008 at 7:42 am
yoda says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPgRW48vNsQ
this shows that kg is a pussy. he didn’t tried to swing back, he just moved away. guess its easy to shout at rookies and some scared kids, but its totally diferent when someone swings back.
November 16th, 2008 at 7:51 am
sans says:
You can’t say say this all adds up to intensity when a player continually stretches the norms of what is acceptable in sportsmanship. Seriously, if KG would play this way in City Leagues, in HS, or in college, he’d mis multiple game stretches for flagrant, intentional fouls.
The vast majority of fouls are unintentional. Players try to make plays, sometimes physically causing an opponent a disadvantage illegally, nonetheless unintentionally. But when a player isn’t trying to make a play on the ball and intentionally causes a player a disadvantage, that is flagrant bullshit. Lower levels its an “intentional foul” which may or may not still be on the rule books at the NBA level given that they have divided flagrant fouls into 2 categories; nonetheless intentional fouls start fights (view Matt Barnes, who, if the trail official did his job, should have been whistled for throwing his shoulder threw Rafer) and injure players. KG is a bitch that is bigger than everyone, has phenomenal ability, but is lacking in MORAL character when it comes to respecting himself, his opponent, and the fundamental idea of sporting behavior.
Also, any foul that happens in a dead ball period (i.e. after a foul, after a ball goes out of bounds, when the clock isn’t running) is immediately a technical foul. Allowing the fact that KG commited a flagrant foul by slapping Bogut, he should’ve been tossed.
I didn’t see this incident, so I have no idea if what Bogut did deserved a tech, but, man, if you got one T on you, that means “calm down”. If you’re a coach it means “Sit the fuck down and don’t say another word for the rest of the game.” You gotta be nicer to players.
November 16th, 2008 at 7:53 am
sans says:
Also, the only non-cavs gear I’ve ever owned was Wolves gear–because of KG.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Steve Nasty says:
Yeah superstars certaintly get superstar traetment. Jawing Calderon, pushing Lebron….nothing. If a pleb does this…then they’re thrown. I think CT is right we are just seeing more of his antics now that he is with Boston.
I just can’t support idiot behaviour….he should act with more class now that he is a champion. Used to love KG now I find it hard to watch a Boston game. And whats up with KG spiking the ball after someone shoots a jumpshot after the whistle is blown….childish. I saw T-Mac do it the other day too.
I hope this doesn’t become a pattern…how pathetic
November 16th, 2008 at 8:41 am
sans says:
that’s a delay of game tech until it gets to the L.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:06 am
sans says:
KG should have been whistled for fouling Bogut, freeing the hand that slapped him. Faux reel. I don’t know what the refs were looking at there, maybe Bogut was being cheap earlier in the game, precipitating the event. But he was fouled (no called, probably assumed a block, Bucks ball) but that no call caused this event. And I am talking about the second swat attempt, where KG hits Bogut with his elbow, knocking the ball out of his hand. G’nite/morning to yall.
my computers too slow to grab the vid from Nba.com, but you can see it there. Odd they don’t even give a replay of it…
November 16th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Austin Burton says:
NBA.com usually won’t replay “unpleasant” things.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:27 am
AB_40 says:
gotta love KG always pumping himself up. sometimes to much that’s why he’ll never be in that GOAT talk cuz he plays too emotional at times but hey can’t hate the guy he has passion . somewhere pau gasol wakes up sweaty having a finals flashback
November 16th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Ross says:
I haven’t seen the KG incident yet, but it sounds like KG being a dick as usual.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:36 am
barons beard says:
I’ve said it before, KG is a punk
Maybe the pressure of being in Boston and getting the ‘chip has broken his brain, because there didnt seem to be as much of it in minny, certainly not the more unsightly actions (or no-one cared)
November 16th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Ross says:
Yep, I just saw the replay on Yahoo Sports. KG is a dick.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:40 am
A-Mo says:
Morrow played for the Heat’s summer league team, not the Nets
November 16th, 2008 at 10:41 am
steven says:
76er’s are starting to get their bounce. I hope they keep it up because their definitely a team that was under-performing and did anyone expect Thadeous Young to be so consistent?
November 16th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Heaven Is A Playground says:
Forget dem KG. Keep doing your thing, and by the end of season you will have won your 2nd nba championship.
Every team had or has a player who was annoying, and frustrated players to lose their focus.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Skeeter McGee says:
I hate to say things like this when it’s so early in the season, but it seems like the Cavs finally have some depth on the team with the addition of Mo Williams. Granted, its really really early to say the trade paid off, but winning 7 in a row already is pretty impressive. I think they can beat the C’s in a series, especially seeing how close they came last year in the playoffs…
November 16th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Max says:
KG spikes the ball all the time — I hate it, but it’s not like it’s something new. I find KG really annoying these days and a little too in love with his own jacked up “intensity”, but a lot of what we’re seeing is magnified because he’s on the Celtics.
Nice to see Oden continuing to come back last night, and for Roy to continue to be clutch. Man, everytime I see Foye play, I’m just glad I’m not a Wolves fan.
Joe Johnson had two great games the last two days and no one noticed because Harris was so good. JJ had a sick finger roll across the lane at the end of the game two nights ago that even Nets announcers were applauding.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Jeffrey says:
Instantly one of the best emails I’ve ever read
November 16th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
haslem says:
is KG ruining his reputation?
November 16th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
weezy f says:
how many times are we gonna hear the anything is possible line when someone references KG we should count…i say on this site alone 5000
November 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
that's whats up says:
KG is gonna act a fool until someone takes away the Larry O’Brien trophy that is shoved waaay up his ass
November 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
rootsradical says:
i said it before and i’ll say it again, Pargo was the only Hornet playing with any heart in last years game 7. he kept them in it. i’ll always respect him for that.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
baron von faulk says:
kg = too “negrocious”
November 16th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
D.H. says:
if you guys think KG is bad, what about taunting and fighting in hockey, or TD celebrations and ‘in-your-face’ moments in Football, or even post-goal celebrations in soccer? Get a grip this is part of KG’s game. He gets under player’s skin, gets them off their game, and gives the his team the edge. This is exactly what he’s paid to do, win.
November 16th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
derrick says:
see? yoda’s youtube clip is another example of why kg is all bark no bite.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
added says:
I never realised KG was such a punk…never got to see much of him over at minny.
They’re rookie Bill Walker is taking notes from the master…
November 16th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Ian says:
one more thing for the player i hate the most in the history of the nba yes more than malona shaq and kobe.
this guy is a douche and i always thought that intensity everyone loved in minnesota was bullshit that man will talk shit to the kid that gives him gatorade.
hes not an alltime great not a superstar hes an allstar that used to put up good numbers on a bad team
hes not better than jefferson bosh or any other of those pfs.
pleaseeeeee if the celts make the finals let it be against timmeh or amare.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Ian says:
wasnt bogut outplayin him?