The series between the Suns and the Spurs is definitely turning into the most intense of this round of the playoffs. After Game 1, Suns fans were left wondering if their team could have won had Steve Nash been able to stop bleeding long enough to play the last few possessions.
Now we have Amare Stoudemire pulling no punches in his assessment of a play that took place during Game 2. Amare goes up for a dunk, and it appears that Bruce Bowen tries to stop him ... by kicking Amare with his right leg. Take a look at the video and see if you think Bowen was intentionally trying to injure Stoudemire here.
I'll leave the verdict on this particular play to our readers for now. In the meantime, Amare has his opinions about the incident, and he seems fairly certain that Bowen was out for blood:
"He kicked me purposely in the back of my Achilles. I almost came down wrong and he almost caused an injury. He's known for doing that. I just hope the NBA and the commissioner take a look at that because it's definitely a dirty play."
Stoudemire's right when he says Bowen's known for this kind of thing. Last season he kicked Ray Allen and was fined for it. Earlier this season, the league had to tell him to stop undercutting jump-shooters after he did it to Steve Francis and got into it a little with Isiah Thomas.
More after the jump.
So Bowen is dirty, that much is well-documented. But Stoudemire then went on to accuse Ginobili of being dirty, and included the entire Spurs team in his comments:
"I think the Spurs are a dirty team. I mean, (Manu) Ginobili during the regular season kneed me in the crotch on purpose. I just hope the league takes a look at it and cleans the game up a little bit."
The bottom line here is that based on Bowen's history, Stoudemire has a point. The league should take a look at this play, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to suggest a fine or suspension for Bowen. After missing all of last season with an injury, you can't blame Stoudemire for getting upset at someone who, in all likelihood, was taking a cheap shot at him.
Comments (Page 1 of 4)
It kind of looks like he tries to kick him, but it's really hard to tell. It seems kind of silly for Bowen to kick him as Amare is already in the air because it would have had no effect on the play. I'm a huge Suns fan and if Amare feels it was a dirty play, then he should say so, but I don't like that he said the "Spurs" are dirty because that implies the whole team plays dirty. If he thought Bowen was trying to hurt him, then he should say that but it's not fair to label the whole team as dirty players.
The video speaks for itself. I remember in the post-game press conference, D'Antoni was asked if Amare hurt himself on that play and D'Antoni was surprised and said no and he was probably tired. The point is Amare went and landed funny and it was noticable during the live game. Now that we can see what happened, it's more obvious to me why people complain about Bowen. I've always attributed it to his tough defense but he apparently gets in few shots as well. The Spurs definitely play physical and get away with a lot but a kick is dirty regardless.
Looks like he kicked him
It wasn't as bad as Rodman pushing Pippen into the 4th row but it sure looked dirty.
Bowen has been dirty all his career. He's done it to Vince a couple of times, even injuring him, here is video proof as Vince has had enough and charged at him. Vince should have knocked him out with a sucker punch.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UI5pE2-bXkE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UI5pE2-bXkE
The Suns should have one les jumpshooting guy and one more go-in-and-stomp-on-Bruce Bowen guy. Nash would still have that gory nose... but Parker would have one to match it.
Excellent youtubage work, looks pretty dirty to me.
And Manu is dirty too. Here's a pic of that knee-in-the-crotch Amare was referring to:
http://www.aolsportsblog.com/photos/miss-gossip-creations/208288/
Napoleon: Are you implying that Parker caused the nose injury of Steve Nash? You must have been watching a different game because Nash FOULED Parker on that play. They even shook hands afterward to show there were no ill feelings.
I have watched both games and I feel Stoud has no room to complain. It seems like Phoenix gets a foul call on every possesion. Nash dribbles across and bang theres some sort of foul. Anyway, this wont matter when the Spurs win this series in five, six tops. Phoenix will be left scratching their heads wondering why they cant seem to buy a championship when they buy all the best players.
Samuel Tripp
I never paid any attention to the charges against Bowen, but now that I have seen it with my own eyes -- ESPECIALLY the weird, unnatural & extremely sneaky move Bruce makes to kick out -- I now believe he is not just a dirty player, but absolutely FILTHY.
How many careers, let alone games has he affected with his tactics?
If Jackson can fine Kobe's elbows, he can and MUST fine & suspend Bowen in THIS series.
Stop whining you don't see the Spurs complaining to the media about Parker being thrown to the ground by the tag team of Marion and Barbosa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNv2_YChq7.)The only people that have called out Bowen are the people and teams that can't win when it matters. The Suns can't win a championship with the best offensive team in the NBA. The other teams that call him "dirty" (the Nets, Knicks, and Sonics plus others probably) can't win enough games to make it to the playoffs (in the Nets case, they haven't beaten the Spurs in a while and definitely not back in '03). I'd have to say that they need to stop calling the man who has multiple selections to one of the NBA All-Defensive teams and 2 NBA Championships "dirty" cause he beat them all with defense. The Suns, Nets, Knicks, and Sonics need to stop making excuses as lame as this and simply go out and win something for a change.
Stop whining, you don't see the Spurs complaining to the media about Parker being thrown to the ground by the tag team of Marion and Barbosa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNv2_YChq7.)The only people that have called out Bowen are the people and teams that can't win when it matters. The Suns can't win a championship with the best offensive team in the NBA. The other teams that call him "dirty" (the Nets, Knicks, and Sonics plus others probably) can't win enough games to make it to the playoffs (in the Nets case, they haven't beaten the Spurs in a while and definitely not back in '03). I'd have to say that they need to stop calling the man who has multiple selections to one of the NBA All-Defensive teams and 2 NBA Championships "dirty" cause he helped his team beat them all with defense. The Suns, Nets, Knicks, and Sonics need to stop making excuses as lame as this and simply go out and win something for a change.
Samuel..wait until the end of next week to even get on your pc and type anything else..the Spurs are crybabies..what would you do if somebody was threatening your livelihood..I've sat here and watched three or four videos of Bowen and I've gotta say he's overtaken Kobe Bryant as my most hated player in the game, it actually put a smile on my face to see Kobe light him up while he was trying to undercut his feet.. Because Bruce has been warned more then once it should be that he gets Suspended as a Suns fan i'd rather it go into next season so it lights a fire ..and don't go comparing the Suns to the Yankees..If you knew anything, they Drafted Stoudemire, Marion and Nash, was Nash even a top 20 player with Dallas? Maybe but he wasn't in the top 5 like he is now
Come off it Samuel and Eric, a foul is a foul if your team is the champ or in the cellar. Saying its just whining if the team hasn't won a ring is just asinine. By the way, the Suns smoked the Spurs 20 points that game so you can hardly say he was crying because they weren't winning.
Amaré can be p.o.ed and Bowen/Ginobili do have a reputation. All the same, in playoff games there seem to be a lot of fouls that don't get called. Amaré will just have to get used to that and its good he kept his cool for the good of the team.
As far as who gets the breaks on calls, everyone knows the teams with rings have the advantage. In L.A., Shaq never committed a foul and In Jordan's day, he never did either. Yea, the Spurs tend to get away with maybe a tad more or get the benefit of the doubt on close calls but if you want to knock off the big teams, you gotta play through it.
Amaré's complaint came on a 20 point win with him playing the whole game. If he can do that again, I'd love to hear whatever other complaints he has- but after the game, and not because he got tossed!
Oh and Samuel, you are a Trip... the Suns buy all the best players? ha ha- how about their style has made the guys they got great players!
Nash should've gotten the MVP.
I'm a Spurs fan and and not becuase of unSpursmanship! Trade him!
Im not sure of any players the Suns bought. They picked up Nash in FA so I guess they bought him but this is hardly buying all the best players. They drafted (Barbosa, Marion, Amare) everyone else or acquired them in trades (Kurt, Boris).
That's the reality. Bowen is dirty, the Spurs in general are dirty. The best teams do what they call professional fouls. Little things that refs may not catch that will really rile up the opposing player, and get techs, and missed shots and get them off their game. Same as what goes on in a dogpile in the NFL. Pistons are much the same, too. It's what you do to win. It's not a boy's game.
Funny thing is in the current bulls series, they replay the old mJ-badboys series, and they were straight mugging people out there. Things that woulda been flagrants now might not even have been called a foul then. Amare needs to be glad he didn't play then. Whiner.
This has been an extremely hard fought series, very physical and a lot of intensity. Just the way it should be. What Bowen did was slimy. There was no need, except to cause harm, in his actions. Amare was out all last season and knows what it's like to be there wanting to play. Steve Nash was the aggressor when he got whacked, nobody has complained about the Spurs getting away with anything. Tony Parker has been getting abused pretty good. These two teams are actually pretty good friends. Every time there has been hard fouls they will go up to each other to make sure the other guy is okay. But it's the ref's who call the fouls and I'm sure they want to do a good job. Manu is a flopper and sneaky. Hurting a professional athelete just to win a game is slimy and I hope Bowen cleans up his act or he may be the one not competing some day.
Samuel Tripp asks.... "Napoleon: Are you implying that Parker caused the nose injury of Steve Nash?"
Napoleon responds...No. I'm implying that if- for whatever reason- my point guard gets his nose broken open, your point guard will get his nose broken open.
I do not wish to imply that Parker is a dirty player. He's not... he doesn't have to be. San Antonio already has Bowen.
Now... if the right people were running Phoenix.... the moment that Mr. Bowen tried kicking the back of Amare's heel, Danny Fortson would- without even requiring the prompting of the coach, who would later proclaim his innocence- get off the bench and immediately kick in the back of Tim Duncan's knee.
This is wise counsel for several reasons:
A) If my star player is injured, your star player will be injured.... then I'd trust my 2-12 guys to handle their 2-12 guys.
B) By merely having a Fortson on the bench, you advertise that you are not above reciprocity, should the game turn ugly.
C) A+B can be used together much like the US/Soviet institution of Mutually Assured Destruction.... by having B ready, it keeps you from having to invoke situation A. In theory, the world will then be peaceful.
Most of my time in your great country has been spent living near Boston, a hockey town. Going into the playoffs sans a fearsome enforcer type is like taking a concubine sans prophylactique. A sensible man just doesn't do it.
Properly employed, Fortson never removes his warmups. His effect on BOTH teams is more of a mental one... and in warfare or sports, the mental is to the physical as three is to one.
Grow up, people. Basketball is fiercely competitive and extremely physical. Players routinely get mugged without penalty! It's part of it. Nash used a psychological ploy after Game 1 that motivated his team. Now Stoudemire is whining because his stats aren't up to par during this series and the Spurs have been shutting him down. All this trash talk is part of the game.