Pietrus' Flagrant Foul Goes Unpunished

That's Mickael Pietrus, going with two hands in the back to Pau Gasol as he throws down a dunk near the end of the Lakers' overtime victory in Game 4. The game had already been decided by then, so there was really no reason other than frustration for the hard foul.

The play was ruled a flagrant at the time, and after review, the league has determined that no further action will be taken against Pietrus. And really, that's the correct decision.

"I wasn't trying to be a jerk," Pietrus said after the game. "I've been in the NBA for seven years, and have never been considered a dirty player. It was just a hard foul and I love Pau; we've played so many times together in Europe. That's how it is.''

The officiating has thankfully been a non-story during the Finals, after a playoff season where we were seemingly dissecting how the referees screwed up the night before on a daily basis. It almost seems like there was a mandate from the league office to the referees telling them to let the teams decide the games, and to (if anything) under-officiate the games in the Finals, which is something that we certainly didn't see in the earlier rounds of the playoffs.

A flagrant foul was the correct call in that situation, and it rightfully will end there -- no further disciplinary action is necessary. Besides, being down three games to one and on the verge of losing the championship should be punishment enough.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

6-12-2009 @ 3:49PM

newnlkm said...

Pietrus is a LOSER! Look at his face not his fists, the screwed up NBA doesn't want to do anything because Pau wasn't hurt, but if he did hurt him then they would do something, it just goes to show you how controlling they want to be, Frikken Howard's elbow's are a accident waiting to happen, but the blind refs let him flail away, ask Pau how many times he's been elbowed, his ribs are probably sorer than a boxers ribs after 15 rounds!!! I give credit to the refs for only one thing, they show up and that's all, the rest is horrible, I say this not because I'm a Laker fan but the facts are all about being consistant the whole game, it sucks when one team (dosen't matter who) gets no foul shots in a quarter while the other team gets 17, it can't be that bad, it's sad that Mr. Stern and the ref boss can't be there telling them per quarter to watch the players and not the game.

6-12-2009 @ 3:51PM

nightworldrecs said...

what about kobe's flagrant on nelson on the pass to fischer? oh right, no one cares about that.

6-12-2009 @ 6:42PM

dodgerbloo15 said...

Lol. Kobe was bringing his arms around while Nelson was running to double him. Nelson's a man for taking it on the chin, but Kobe's got just as much right to that space as Nelson does. Good no call on that. Or, maybe the Refs just missed it like the rest of the game...

6-13-2009 @ 12:12AM

Mr Smith said...

Nelson ran into Kobe end of story. If you think they should have been called for that one (foul). How many did Orlando get away with the entire 4th and OT?

6-12-2009 @ 3:53PM

Dana said...

Sorry but that's crap! If that happened to their player in L.A. you know it would have been called for sure....

6-12-2009 @ 5:41PM

jd990 said...

This really is a crock. Peitrus ran into and hit him as hard as he could with both fists in Gasols's shoulder blades. Watch the reply and you'll see!! What a punk move. I actually felt bad for the Magic before that crap. He should've been suspended 1 game. I can't for the Laker's to finish them now. It's a similar scumbag move to what James Harrison pulled in the Super Bowl.

6-12-2009 @ 5:46PM

imshortyk said...

Anybody else find it funny how Gasol was suddenly a big bad-ass on that foul (which was full force, body on body and yet he was barely hurt), but on his attempts at going for rebounds or playing "defense" on Dwight he flails, flops and SCREAMS like crazy? He may be a better actor than Mike Tyson, but that's about it. Gasol is just another example of the acting that goes on in the NBA. It really . . really . . really hurts the game.

6-13-2009 @ 11:25AM

cabinetec said...

Open your eyes you fool. Even guys who Flop dont do it when their hit in the back on a drive to the basket, Looks like you and Stern ar on the same page, Now Thats what REALLY REALLY REALLY hurts the game

6-12-2009 @ 5:58PM

fdw13 said...

That was definitely a flagrant foul 2,the officiating was HORRIBLE the whole game, as usual...

6-12-2009 @ 7:11PM

harvey.dunn said...

Without a doubt Type 2 Flagrant Foul. Dont know what the referees were looking at on the screen otherwise.May be they would disqualify Pietrus, if he was given two knives to use in both hands before stabbing Gasol.Useless unapplied rules [NBA Section IV Rule 12] in the rulebook of the NBA.Loathesome officiation.

6-12-2009 @ 7:17PM

Martin said...

By Stern's own definition (i.e. a windup, closed fists, and no attempt to make a play on the basketball), that has to be a flagrant 2 and Pietrus should be suspended for a game. But this is the NBA, where horribly inconsistent officiating happens, again and again.
And to those who think that Kobe's elbow was a foul, check your rulebook. It could have been called a foul on Nelson, but no way was it a foul on Kobe. His arms were making a basketball move and his elbows were close to his body. There was a similar play in an earlier playoff series where the offensive player was driving for a lay-up and his elbow hit the defender. The officials called a foul on the defender but also a flagrant on the offensive player. The play was reviewed by the league which determined there was no flagrant foul, because the player was making a natural move with the basketball.

6-12-2009 @ 8:27PM

blblbl3 said...

Fisher was suspended for his foul in Houston.
Pietrus should be suspended. Period.
Jackson should send in Morrison off the bench at the end of the game and punch the hell out of Pietrus, a sucker punch, just like Pietrus did.

6-12-2009 @ 8:30PM

Except that Morrison would miss. Better to send in Mbenga

6-12-2009 @ 9:14PM

Rick said...

I think the NBA just wants to give the Magic every chance to stay in the finals. It's clearly they, and their wanna be fired from Miami so called cry baby coach are out classed on and off the court. The FL.2 foul on Pau was the last staw. Punk no class move. The punks are not ready for rings...Howard needs to practice his offense. And his team doesn't trust him. He was open a half dozen times under the net,,no pass to the stupidman. Actions speak volumes..like the punk foul on Pau. Buh bye not ready for rings magic....I laugh in your faces....

6-12-2009 @ 11:05PM

Steve! said...

Brett... nice article bro. Now that we know the new rules - that it's ok to lash out if you are frustrated, the Lakers should take this as carte blanche and unleash a left hook into (not-so) superman's face because he pushes defenders to the floor. Sure, call the flagrent foul, but no one should be suspended. We can have a new professional crossover sport, Ultimate Fighting Basketball. The league either needs to enforce the rules, or just have no rules at all.

6-13-2009 @ 5:51AM

mrbeijer said...

Looks as if Pietrus was trying out for the Denver Thuggets.

6-13-2009 @ 6:20AM

demzrdopes said...

David Stern was busy gang signing with Derrick Rose in the crowd, he missed the play..

6-13-2009 @ 9:57AM

Janice said...

Go Lakers!!! Pietrus should be suspended..That was a flagrant 2..I don't care that he was frusterated only one team can win and that will be the Lakers if you can't handle the stress like a professional then get off the court...That was a low blow and the NBA needed to make a point..Lakers in 5...Love my Lakers!!

6-13-2009 @ 11:06AM

ANYTIME that a defending player uses closed fists to make a defensive play on an opposing player he should be suspended for a game. If your NOT makeing a play on the ball and you close your fists why would Stern even have to think about a suspention it should be AUTOMATIC . Pietrus says He likes Pau and maybe so but that was a Dirty play and he and Pau both know it. IT WAS NOT THE CORRECT CALL

6-13-2009 @ 12:38PM

vetteski33 said...

Basketball is a full contact sport, these guys are paid alot of money, I'm happy that something was called,on the Pau play, the game was already deceided, there is always some idiot in any game that has to foul hard and try to overcome their own shortcomings, talent. Its a shame that he couldn't just lay it in and not take the extra time and energy to dunk the ball. Larry Bird would have put in a lay up or passed the ball out to kill the clock. Its such a crock,not many guys in NBA think team first. Only ones that played for Coach K at Duke.

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