2-2
UPDATE: What was Game 4?
Was it the key win? Was it a season or roster defining win?
We'll only know as this epic series delivers it's fantastic finish.
Something happened in the fourth quarter of Game 4. The Suns became the team we've grown to love... and want them to be.
They got stops. Marion was everywhere.
They hit shots. Would you want anyone other than Nash leading a comeback when a game gets wild?
They won in San Antonio. The end of that game has given the NBA the biggest crisis they've faced this decade.
Do they suspend a 1st Team All NBA player for a pivotal game of a playoff series because he walked toward an MVP teammate who was slammed into the scorers' table.
Regardless of how you see it, you have to admit the NBA is at fault for this dilemma. The 'leaving the bench rule' was created for the Knicks guard Greg Anthony's (now annoying nightly on ESPN) brawl-inducing attack on Suns guard Kevin Johnson (while Anthony was in street clothes). Four seasons later the Knicks would lose a playoff series they lead 3-1 due to multiple suspensions from a Game 5 brawl where Charlie Ward was bodyslammed into the crowd.
The NBA just went through this three years ago where Richard Jeffferson (Nets) and Ron Artest (Indiana) got different results when leaving the bench during altercations. Fact is, the NBA will lose fans if they suspend Diaw and Stoudemire and the Suns suffer a stiffer penalty than San Antonio. An excessive hard foul has created a controversy in their showcase series.
If you only read hoops blogs, you know this has become the DVR series. Not only because it is possibly the best matchup we'll see- everyone is rewatching the game and plays to look for fouls that aren't being called. Everyone has turned into Mark Cuban.
All the Cubanites felt some vindication when Joey Crawford got Sterned and had to miss the playoffs for making himself the star of a Sunday afternoon showdown. He tossed Duncan for glaring and laughing and sent a message to the world hasn't gotten til now. Duncan is refereed on a level beyond any other player in the NBA because he is so active in both ends of the floor. Yet he still tries to intimidate officials. So now there's a potential beef with the Spurs and the refs because of Crawford's heavy suspension.
For all the snide comments from fans, Stoudemire stirred the pot by saying the Spurs played dirty. It called attention to the guy who has the highest profile job in this series- Bruce Bowen, who is guarding Steve Nash.
So now you have millions of people testing out the slow-motion on the remote. You have sports writers talking about whining and chippyness. You have the Phoenix Suns trying to keep their cool only to see the hoarse Mike D'Antoni watching the scoreboard- hoping the refs can keep up. You have the San Antonio Spurs trying to slow down one of the best offenses in the last 10 years and trying to work the officials for a little more leeway.
In the ebb and flow of Game 4, the Suns found a way. We saw the Steve Nash that wouldn't let the team lose, like the classic in Dallas. We saw the Shawn Marion that makes a play in every frame of crunch time. We saw the Amare Stoudemire that can't settle on a nickname because he's breaking people off like leprosy.
We saw Robert Horry cross the line.
All the complaining would be seen as normal whining without that foul. Stoudemire's quote wouldn't be so annoyingly prophetic without that foul. All the chippy plays would be seen as great playoff basketball without that foul. The Suns steal a win in San Antonio without that foul.
Now Game 4 becomes something else. The web, talk radio, youtube. The fallout from a few seconds of the most pivotal 2.5 hours of the season could become a nightmare that ruins a series that showcases the BEST things about basketball. Instead it could just become another instance of the NBA putting it's foot down and squashing something that is a byproduct of inconsistent officiating. Somewhere Joey Crawford is glaring at a bowl of ice cream then laughing at it.
UPDATE 2: Steve Kerr and video confirm Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen left the bench when Francisco Elson tangled with James Jones after a dunk. How many players will get suspended? The buildup to Game 5 might make a lot of fans sick.
Labels: Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns, playoffs, robert horry, San Antonio Spurs, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan
posted by Hersey @ 9:53 PM
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At least they called the flagrant foul on Robert Horry, whose days with the Lakers evidently rubbed off on him. Before that, I honestly had started thinking that if someone on the court was killed by one of these low-blowing flying arms or knees, the officials would call a foul on the ******* corpse!
I'm beyond nervous that *both* Amare and Diaw will be suspended for Game 5. I think they could have a good shot missing one or the other, but w/ both out...it will be an awful tough task.
The officials have been biding their time and now it's payback time for Joey Crawford. Even with Diaw and Amare out the calls will go against the Spurs and the Suns will have no problem winning games 5 & 6.
What the camera angles didn't show you, but those of us at the game saw, was the foul against Horry under the basket that knocked him to the floor. His flagrant foul against Nash five seconds later was a frustration foul..and frankly, it's understandable. The officials really let this one get out of hand. I blame the officials.
wow, Stu Jackson really has to hire some younger officials. The current crop is missing a lot of fouls on both ends.
This is what we've been saying. The officials have lost control of the games. It's basically whoever plays consistently physical will get away with the most. If that's how it's going to be played- we have to hope no one gets hurt.
This was a great game though and the Suns showed that resolve we've needed to see.
If that shit at the end ruins this series with suspensions then screw the NBA and I hope they get a Utah/New Jersey Finals and all the stars get hurt.
They have a viable excuse for Stoudemire running off the bench. (It's a fake one, but it's viable and they ought to be able to get away with it.)
It all comes down to whether or not Diaw left the sidelines, which I don't think he did.
Nash was still laid out on the floor when the guys went toward him. I'd use that excuse. Checking on the MVP. He could have been injured.
after all we've seen in this series, do you really think any decision will be logical? I give up. I'm switching to baseball.
Here are two quotes from Popovich after Game 4: "They were very aggressive and got to the basket easier during that period than at any other time during the game.
"They played very well and were very aggressive during that stretch."
Doesn't sound like a whiner to me.
You know this nonsense in the series was initiated by the Spurs. The Suns don't do this when playing their way.
Amare was wrong when he called the Spurs a dirty team. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker aren't dirty. It's the role players who have a problem. And Manu Ginobili? With his crazy behavior on the court, why doesn't he say a high-pitched "Manu Manu" after every low blow? Or show up for the game by hatching from a giant egg?
I think it's good they don't like each other. Makes for better basketball. Don't suspend anyone. Let em play this out fair and square.
i bet Bowen wears Old Spice. Tons of it.
Hersey is right that the refs have an ax to grind with the Spurs, so I'm sad to say that the Suns didn't really "steal" this away from the Spurs. The Spurs should have been up by at least 20 not 11, if the fouls had been called.
The Suns will win in 6. It's not the way the Sun fans want their team to win--having the victory given to them-- but we'll take a "w" any way we can get it.
In the Knicks brawl earlier in the season tons of players got off the bench who weren't suspended.
I can't see the league completely screwing the Suns chances because guys got off the bench.
Horry should be suspended though and the Spurs should be fine without him.
I didn't say the refs decided the game. I do remember the Spurs missing a ton of shots in the last four minutes and gradually blowing a 10+ lead.
I said the Horry foul may have ruined this series because all the talk is going to be about how the officials have lost control rather than two great (and bitchy) teams playing the best basketball we've seen all season. Both teams work the officials because they both strive with few whistles.
Horry should get a game for the foul and the elbow to Raja's throat. Fine both teams and let them play.
Hell of a game last night, probably the best series of the 4. Each game gets more physical as these teams duke it out for the right to get to the WCF. With that being said, i felt that the suns got more than their share of favorable calls (which is unusual considering this game was on the spurs' home court). Conversely, i felt that the spurs received some favorable calls in game 3. What does this mean? To me, it means the refs are calling the games inconsistantly for both teams and I suspect we will see more of the same for game 5; a tightly called 1st quarter followed by lax officiating at the beginning of the 4th q and a very tightly called game for the last 6 minutes of the 4th q. Its no wonder that horry went bowen on nash (that was a joke)at the end of game 4.
Spurs fans do not condone that type of behavior, and we are proud of the fact that many of the players on our team are upstanding citizens that do not run afoul of the law. If the worst thing you can find on our team is that Duncan is boring, then I think that says alot about our team. I know you are probably saying "what about bowen?" Bowen is a family man, who is committed to the children of the community and has helped to set up exercise programs for the youth of this community. Sure he may come into question about his tactics, but to my recollection, he has never been suspended or fined by the NBA. He is a frustrating defender that causes his opponents fits of frustration and anger. This year, his peers have voted him to the all nba defensive team, and he garnered the most votes of any player. I think that speaks volumes of the respect and admiration that his nba peers have bestowed upon him.
I do wish that amare and boris were not suspended for game 5, because when the spurs win, they should win with your team at full strength. I am nervous about tomorrow's game, but we have a very strong bench with seasoned players that can pick up the slack for Horry. The fact that two of your best players are missing and a rowdy arena could spell doom for most teams, but the spurs thrive on adversity. I feel that the rule that is in place for bench clearing brawls will likely not change in the near future, especially after the "malice in the palace". If the rule was overlooked in this instance, i think it would have been a detriment to the rest of the league when it comes to fighting and bench-clearing brawls. Yes, the officiating is a major cause of the problems that we are seeing in this series, but until the officiating is taken to task by david stern, this rule has to be in place to protect the players, fans, and media.
I appreciate the comments from Spurs fans here on the blog. The newspaper sites have had to shutdown a few forums because the comments have gotten so nasty.
As an NBA fan I feel cheated and as a Suns fan I feel really cheated because the NBA turned Horry's bad foul into a goon move and it ruins the series regardless of the outcomes of Game 5 and 6.
Tomorrow's game will be heated though.
To "anonymous" at 7:31 pm: Thank you for the intelligent posting. Really made me think.
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