May.15 at 12:39 am

mutoni says:
vince carter needs to go into hiding after that “performance”. seriously, vc, just disappear.

May.15 at 12:53 am

Homie says:
I also loved VC trying to talk junk to Pavlovic. Ooooh…tough guy!

May.15 at 1:08 am

ALX8725 says:
It’s hard to imagine that the winner of this series has a chance to compete for Eastern Conference Champ…

May.15 at 1:24 am

Phil B. says:
I can’t believe there are people outside of San Antonio that actually want to see Amare and Diaw suspended because of their reaction at the end of Game 4 to what Horry did. If they are suspended, what recourse does the average fan have? Such a ruling will ENCOURAGE players like Horry (or worse players) to intentionally try to hurt opposing players in order to provoke a game suspension. That cannot be “the law” as Shaq put it. This has the potential of just wrecking a fantastic series.

May.15 at 1:58 am

Diane H says:
Phil B., that is very well stated and completely correct IMHO. Also, get off Reggie’s back. He’s doing a great job.

May.15 at 2:00 am

Ikemob22 says:
My poor nets cant win for losing i swear!

May.15 at 2:02 am

Ikemob22 says:
it has been fight night all around the nba at this point id rather see the smack down of the players then half of these sorry ass games!

May.15 at 3:06 am

Russ Bengtson says:
From the AP recap as posted on ESPN: “A series that had featured harsh words and tough fouls in the first three games, took on a whole new look with 18 seconds to play when Horry hit Nash with a foreman and knocked him into the scorer’s table.” George Foreman?

May.15 at 3:15 am

Russ Bengtson says:
I did enjoy Stoudemire saying with a straight face that he was passing the end of the scorer’s table getting ready to check in when it happened, when the tape clearly shows he was standing in front of his seat with a towel slung around his neck. While it would be unfortunate if STAT and Diaw were suspended for Game Five, they expressed shockingly poor judgement leaving the bench to begin with. It’s not like the rule is a secret or anything. The Horry foul was, um, foul (although I still think Nash milked it a little bit), but the wrong Suns chose the wrong time to act tough.

May.15 at 5:00 am

Sesa says:
Russ, I’ve simulated game 4 of PHX-SA on my NBA 2k7 and the results were eeriely similar. Check out my post and the time of my post on PHX-SA game 3 recap.

May.15 at 5:14 am

Phil B. says:
Russ, put aside any feelings about who you want to win and just tell me as a basketball fan and writer - do you want to see Stoudamire and Diaw play or be suspended for game 5? These two guys hardly were “choosing” a time to “act tough.” From their vantage point, they saw Nash get smashed into the scorer’s table. They did not have the benefit of the angle we saw (yes, Nash did act like a soccer player; on the other hand, he missed two FTs - was he actually hurt?). And all Stat and Biaw did was step forward and start jawing. They threatened nobody with any physical violence. It’s true that I’m rooting for the Suns, but I’m fine with the best team winning - if that’s the Spurs, well, they do have the best PF ever, don’t they? The series is dramatic and compelling only if these teams play full strength. Do you doubt that the Suns absolutely earned game 4’s victory, or that the Spurs will come back in game 5 and play a great game? David Stern seriously needs to step back and let the players PLAY AND DECIDE the outcome. This f-ing bright-line rule about coming off the bench is FAR less important than a classic playoff series between these two exceptional teams who play contrasting styles. It would far, far more than “unfortunate” if Stern suspended two of the Suns top six players. It would send a message to every team in the League - if a series is not going your way, just have a reserve try to injure an opposing player and provoke players to step on to the court. Sets a great precedent, Russ.

May.15 at 5:40 am

Froggiestyle says:
who do I have to blow around here to turn off those annoying flucking pop-up clocks already??#@#$!@#$?@#!$?!@#?$@#! Note to those in Marketing, those things DO NOT WORK. I have no idea what it’s for, and if I did, I’d go find the company and put a friggin bomb in the bldg. . . . . . . . . . end of rant, now back to your regularly scheduled program.

May.15 at 7:25 am

Ronald says:
Heh, Big Shot Rob was being stupid. Trying to get a charge but being oh-so-late. Funny move though, wasn’t THAT hard of a foul. Flagrant? mm…only because it was unnecessary.

May.15 at 8:01 am

Max Airington says:
“Life is not fair. You cant even bring toothpaste on a plane anymore.” “Is that why your breath smells like that Kenny?”

May.15 at 8:05 am

K22C says:
OK so I made it to school on time this morning after staying up too late last night. had 10 minutes to get ready and drive 7 minutes to school. was here in 6. thought you all would be proud.

May.15 at 9:43 am

dez says:
Heres what I want to know.
Why hasn’t anyone hipchecked Tony Parker like that? He’s been running amuck in the paint

May.15 at 12:06 pm

Tommy Patron says:
Rules are rules. There should be no exceptions or special treatment for anyone, ever. If the rule or rules are determined to be a detriment to the game they may be reviewed and modified or eliminated during the off-season. Just as there should be no selective enforcement of traveling or defensive three seconds, there should neither occur with leaving the bench during an altercation.

May.15 at 12:43 pm

Gringleton says:
Tommy, you sound like the kind of guy that would call the cops on his own mother for stealing a candy bar.

May.15 at 1:14 pm

Dennard says:
As a Spurs fan, I don’t want to see anybody from PHX suspended, only Horry should be suspended. That is a dumb ass rule(leaving the bench), but we will see what happens. It was funny hearing Charles Barkley talking about Greg Anthony & KJ scrapping, I remember that fight. Anyway that fight lead to the no one leaving the bench.

May.15 at 1:17 pm

Ryan Jones says:
Russ wrote about Cavs-Nets on this post, so let me bring it back to the subject. And that is: Sasha Pavlovic is my new favorite person. When he and Vince were walking together and Vince was screaming on him, and Sasha had that little confused smirk, pointing at his ear like “I didn’t hear you?” If I may borrow a phrase from the youngsters, that sh*t was DOPE. I don’t even hate Vince, but sometimes I think he wants me to.

May.15 at 1:17 pm

Tommy Patron says:
That’s nonsense. We are discussing a professional sport that is carried live on television. Everyone on that court has had ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with the rules and is fully aware that every facial expression is likely to be recorded. My Mom would never be stupid enough to steal a candybar while being broadcast live in HD.

May.15 at 1:19 pm

Tommy Patron says:
You could clearly see VC saying “I will kick your ass.” repeatedly to Pavlovic on tv. I fully believe that it would take Pavlovic about 10-15 seconds to dispose of Vince once he stopped running.

May.15 at 5:02 pm

Jonny says:
Spurs-Suns I agree with Tommy. Rules are established and these players are expected to play by them or not play in this league. You can’t say they deserve special treatment for your sake or your assumptions for televsion ratings.
The general public think basketball is about 3-point shots and slam dunks when it’s a lot more than what is just on the court. The Indiana-Detroit episode happened when the Suns players were active in the league and that made a big stink in the media. So, they have no excuses for “not knowing.” Furthermore, I was on lower level mid-court when it happened and Stoudamire wasn’t near the scoring table, but in front of his seat. The league should have consistent rulings in these situations or it’ll be chaotic. Special exceptions during playoffs will also create lots of controversy, especially in lieu of the Baron Davis hit. Finally, some theorize that suspending these players will encourage scrubs to take out all-stars. Well, has it been the case so far?
I can tell you thing for SURE is that if these guys aren’t suspended for breaking a rule, the NBA itself will be very suspect and presented as a biased committee that plays favors.
If these players are not sanctioned according to the rules, then what stops a team brawl from happening in the future? Hence the rule being enacted.
A stern punishment (Stoudamire and Diaw are grown-up and responsible for their actions) will show the league that it truly has zero tolerance for this type of behavior regardless of INTENTION (help Nash up or defend him in a fight). It sucks that it COULD cause the series for the Suns, but nobody forced Amare and Boris to step out there. The “I gotta defend my homeboy” mentality is very unprofessional and childish. Grow up! I completely agree with Shaq on his assessment. btw, I’m a Spurs fan, but Suns are up there on my list of favorite teams (Nash being one of my favorite PG). It sucks that Game 4 ended up with controversy. These two teams are the best in the league and I anticipated a nice close series.

May.15 at 5:27 pm

Dennard says:
Vince needs to worry about making a shot instead of trying to intimidate somebody. He is shooting a wonderful 31-91!!!!! Advantage Pavolvic.

May.15 at 11:18 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I’d give a large sum of money to hear Sasha, if asked about Vince, to respond “I don’t even know this kid.”

May.16 at 1:41 am

Sherri says:
may be Vince wasnt hugged enough as a child.

May.16 at 4:04 am

Russ Bengtson says:
Vince probably thinks he isn’t hugged enough NOW.

May.16 at 7:45 am

DEVILb0y says:
vincehas been choking his whole career and le bron too..no surprise