The Way the Basketball Bounces

Just so you know, I am NOT happy about the Phoenix Suns losing Game 5 to the San Antonio Spurs.

I know, I know. You're thinking, "But Ericka, you're from Texas. Shouldn't you get behind the team from your home state?"

Uh...no.

First of all, I'm from El Paso, NOT San Antonio. Since El Paso has no professional sports teams, it's pretty neutral in that respect. Except for football. 'Cause they love them some Cowboys. But, I'm a non-conformist anyway, so the Raiders have been my team since I was four years old.

But I digress.

For the record, Phoenix is closer to El Paso than San Antonio. So there! LOL. Okay, so that's not the ONLY reason. Let's just say I've enjoyed watching the Suns play since the Kevin Johnson days. And the current group, led by Steve Nash and punctuated by Amare Stoudamire, is just as fun to watch.

On the other hand, I've NEVER particularly liked the Spurs. (Kinda strange, don't you think? Especially since they share team colors with my beloved Raiders.) I always thought David Robinson whined a little too much for my taste, as does his protegé Tim Duncan. I don't think either of them feels they've ever really committed a foul in their lives.

So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I was less than thrilled about the Stoudamire and Diaw suspensions. For those of you who missed it, after Robert Horry was called for an obviously flagrant (though not as terrible as it looked) foul on Steve Nash at the end of Game 4, Stoudamire and Diaw each took one step onto the court. Now, the NBA has this assanine rule that if any player comes off the bench during an altercation, they are automatically suspended for a game regardless of the circumstances. Most people, myself included, believe the league should have been flexible in this situation. After all, Horry was the one who committed the foul against their franshise guy, their MVP, their perennial All-Star. And yet, the NBA decided to punish the victim in this case by suspending both Stoudamire and Diaw for Game 5. But, so they don't look like they're completely biased, they suspended Horry, who's not a starter anyway, for two games.

I have always liked Horry, and what he did in Game 4 doesn't change that. Anyway, I don't believe Horry's intent was to harm Nash. I think he just didn't want Nash to blow by him, and, being old and slow and knowing he couldn't get over to grab him, he just reached out to bump him. The Spurs had been getting away with that kind of contact all series, so why would Horry think he was being excessive? Nash is a líttle guy (and a bit of a thespian), so he went flying into the scorer's table. He wasn't hurt. I mean, come on. The guy took a head butt to the nose from Tony Parker earlier in the series and barely even winced.

I've got to interject here, because that was a whole lot of foolishness too. I mean, have you seen the size of Tony Parker's head? Nash definitely took the worst of that collision. And yet it was Parker, true to Spurs form, who curled up into a fetal position on the court for a good five minutes. I was thinking: Oh come on! Man up! Your fiancée's in the building...have some pride man! After lying there forever like a little child, he was able to get up (sniff! sniff! poor baby!) and finish the game. Meanwhile, Nash couldn't even get back into that game because he was bleeding like slaughtered hog. But you didn't see him crying like an infant!

Okay, now that I've gotten that out, I feel much better.

So, anyway, I didn't think Horry deserved to get thrown out of that game. Was the foul flagrant? Clearly it was. But I don't think it was worthy of ejection. It wasn't even worth a one-game suspension, let alone two.

Stoudamire's and Diaw's transgression was definitely not worthy of a one-game suspension. David Stern said that the rule is clear and they had to be suspended.

What a load of crap!

Especially since the referees' loose interpretation of the rule book is what's gotten this series to be this physical. Last I checked every other rule seems to be subject to someone's discretion. The rule is clear on what a foul is, unless you're an all star or known for your defensive prowess or it's a playoff game (cause everybody knows they don't call fouls the same in the second season). And I'm almost sure that there's a direct correlation between how long a guy stays on the floor writhing in pain and whether a foul is called flagrant. Then Stephen Jackson gets ejected for clapping. Clapping! Last time I checked, there was no rule against clapping in basketball.

Stu Jackson, the league's enforcer, says the NBA didn't want to influence the outcome of the series, but they had no choice. There's always a choice, Mr. Jackson. Besides, we all know that David Stern, the NBA Commissioner, has a crush on Tim Duncan. I mean, have you ever seen the league suspend a ref, especially one who's been with the league as long as Joey Crawford, for wrongfully ejecting a player? Refs have tossed guys before for idiotic stuff, like laughing, clapping (as mentioned above), and staring. I've never seen them get suspended for it.

The Suns lost Game 5 without Stoudamire and Diaw, although they gave it all they had. They showed a lot of heart, and could have won the game. But, because their backups had to play extended minutes, they ran out of gas in the last few minutes. Without Stoudamire, the shot blocker, the Spurs were able to penetrate the paint at will. And, without Stoudamire, Duncan was able to rotate over and stop Nash's penetration.

Hopefully, with Stoudamire and Diaw back, the Suns will claim Games 6 and 7. Especially now that Amare is rested, he should come back with fresh legs. Game 6 should be a dunkfest for him. I hope.

If not, then the loud thud you hear, Mr. Stern and Mr. Jackson, will be the sound of Western Conference Finals ratings crashing to the ground. 'Cause not too many people will want to see a San Antonio-Utah series. And you'll have nobody to blame but yourselves.