The Magic played much of Wednesday's game as if they were content going back to Orlando with a split. Unfortunately, not even returning to their home court might help their chances for Game 3 if Rafer Alston is suspended, which is a distinct possibility after his inexcusable slap to Eddie House's head late in the third quarter.
[Update 5/7: Rafer Alston has been suspended.]
Then again, what are the chances Alston gets a pass? The league has been surprisingly soft thus far in the postseason when it comes to doling out punishment, both after the fact and within the flow of the game. In fact, Boston didn't even get a chance to capitalize on Alston's short temper as the refs inexplicably called a double technical.
Alston claimed after the game that he was provoked by House swinging an elbow in his direction after nailing a three-pointer. Replays did show House raising his elbow as he turned to run up the court, but it didn't appear malicious or even close to hitting Alston.
Regardless of what Alston thinks he saw, it certainly appears that he acted out of frustration, not retaliation. House suggested that it was his pesky defense that got under Alston's skin, although the fact that House shot 11-14 from the field while racking up 31 points (Alston shot just 3-11 for seven points) was probably annoying, as well.
The slap was just that -- an open-handed slap. There was never a chance that it could have caused injury, but it certainly could have initiated a more serious response.
Concerns that allowing Alston's slap go unpunished might create precedence for other players to follow his example are likely unfounded; NBA players generally have too much respect for each other to resort to random cheap shots. (How many players have imitated Rajon Rondo's antics from Games 5 and 6 of the Bulls series?)
But in the context of the playoffs, you can't be too careful. The games are intense, and over the course of a seven-game series, familiarity breeds contempt -- just ask the Lakers and Rockets, who each had a player ejected last night for chippy play. If open-handed slaps are suddenly fair game, trying to provoke a hot shooter by taking a swipe at his noggin might not be a bad strategy.
In any case, if Alston is suspended, the Magic may be without their entire starting backcourt. Courtney Lee hasn't played since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured sinus last week, and while he's been cleared by doctors to resume playing, he's hardly a sure thing.
Doing Lines
It wasn't hard to see this coming: after struggling through a poor shooting night in a crushing Game 1 loss to the Rockets, Kobe Bryant was simply dominant from the start in Game 2. He set the tone early with 15 points in the first quarter alone before finishing with a game-high 40 on an ultra-efficient 16-27 performance from the field, helping the Lakers even the series with the Rockets. [Box Score]If House wasn't mentioned above, he'd get top billing from the early game -- his 31 points off the bench were the most by a Celtics reserve in a playoff game since 1983. Instead, Rajon Rondo gets the proverbial fist-bump: he scored 15 points with 18 assists and 11 boards, not to mention a pair of assists and only three turnovers. Believe it or not, Rondo tallied only two triple-doubles the first three years of his career before the start of the playoffs; since then, he's already recorded three, tying Larry Bird's franchise record for most in a single postseason. [Box Score]
Watching Film
Speaking of offenses potentially worth of suspension ... that's Derek Fisher putting a little too much mustard on a pick on Luis Scola. Fish came out a little worse for wear himself, suffering a cut on his head, presumably from knocking heads with Scola. He earned an automatic ejection by being whistled for a flagrant 2, and he had the misfortune of committing the offense just yards away from the league's disciplinarian, NBA VP Stu Jackson.
[Update 5/7: Derek Fisher has been suspended.]
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
After watching that Magic game, who says this league isn't fixed?
Skola got knocked on his butt. It was a hard foul but didn't warrant an ejection. D-wills did the same thing against Bynum and all he got was a foul.
and House getting Pimp-slapped by Alston is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen
Although it shouldn't be tolerated, I agree with you that it was kind of funny. Especially the way that House's headband went into a spin.
are you kidding me bryan? I've seen softer hits from Ray Lewis.
Derek Fisher should be suspended on top of his ejection. I've never seen such a blatant lowering of the shoulder into another player's chest.
for once an Argentinian wasn't flopping, it was incredible. Just a really suspect move from Fisher, no need to run through a screen like that.
And as for Alston, He'll get suspended because his jersey isn't green and white. Rondo wouldn't get suspended for that.
He should go this behaivor should not be allowed!
SupermanRondo dunks on sleepwalking Howard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY1nIFbs6NY
After nine playoff games, Rondo is AVERAGING
18.3 points, 11.9 assists, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 steals.
Rondon shouldn't have been suspended he was going for the ball but Alston should definitely get suspended. He deliberately slapped House in the back of the head. The league will not tolerate this cheap shot.
It has nothing to do with the color of your jersey, even though green and white is the best......
i don't really feel like alston deserves a suspension. if he had tapped him on the behind, he woulda been saying "nice shot" - i'm a celtics fan, but there was no chance of him hurting eddie house, so i'm fine with just letting it go.
plus it makes the rest of the series more exciting. the magic are an undercover dirty team - people don't realize it because dwight smiles all the time. let's get it all out in the air! let these teams get rough with each other - that's what we want to see.
That was FUNNY....I'm talking about Eddie House
headband.....it almost flew off!
We need some more levity during the playoffs!
I'm glad the Lakers fought back against Houston!
GO LAKERRRRRRRS !
Well, if that is something that is not tolerated and is automatic suspension, then he will likely be suspended one game. That was just frustration. Eddie dropped 31 points on them. Of course Rafer did try to throw Eddie under the bus saying he was intentionally elbowed, but it doesn't look like that at all. Looked like Eddie just kind of bumbed into him and Rafer did not even really react to that, but them whacked Eddie in the head. Eddie was ready to rumble after that one.
If Rondo can bring it and not get suspended then how can Rafer get suspended, oh yea its the NBA
How do you figure? Rondo's play on Miller was for one intent only -- to stop a basket. He wishes that he had a better angle to get some part of the body other than the face. He didn't go rushing over from his position with a plan to slap Miller in the face.
In the next game, he was being shoved up the floor by Hinrich (probably being baited as a carryover from the previous incident). He overreacted when he pulled Hinrich's arm, and it was the right call to give him a flagrant foul. But it's not like he had some pre-meditated INTENT in either case.
Both incidents were part of the game play. What did Alston's slap have to do with the actual game?
INTENT is a key factor when considering suspensions.