Did we expect any different? The Rockets take home court from the lakers and a series of blown calls helps the lakers secure the win to even the series. Not to say the Rockets would’ve won game 2 for sure, but they had a chance until the refs took over. Also, did we expect anything other than Yao being in foul trouble from the start?
FISHER – This guy must be suspended. Watching the replay, you clearly can see that he hit Scola with intend. He looked to make sure where Scola was. It was an elbow because you can see that even after Scola absorbs the contact, fisher’s elbow flares outward a bit more. It’s a clear suspension for game 3. It wasn’t a pick like every laker is trying to play it off as. Fisher takes a hop step moving directly into Scola. The NBA must suspend fish for 1 more game to retain the 1 ounce of credibility they have left.
KOBE – This guy has regularly been a dirty player. He doesn’t get called out for it because he is kobe. Remember kobe elbowing and kneeing Battier as he tackles him after getting picked? He sneaks in cheap shots all the time because he gets away with it. But that a bitcX way of playing. Remember the Raja Bell incident a few yrs back? What got Raja so frustrated? Repeated elbows to the face that the refs allow. And the infamous play of Bibby fouling kobe’s elbow with his face. Kobe does this kind of stuff to every player that plays him tight. But he doesn’t play straight up like a man like Artest was saying. Kobe should have gotten a flagrant 1 for an elbow. That would’ve changed the momentum a bit. I mean come on, even if the refs really didn’t see kobe’s elbow, how did Ron get a foul for getting hit, arching backwards with his arms wide open?
RON – I think he handled himself very well in the postgame interviews. He clearly stated that he learned from his previous mistakes and just wanted to get his point across. I like Ron going into the description of what happen in the exchanges and hopefully it will be scrutinized in game 3 by everyone that the refs have to call it on kobe.
Just like RonRon said, play straight up. Don’t slap the defender’s hand or arm away or throw elbows. That’s call playing dirty.
I think the lakers are still a soft team. They don’t understand that there is a difference between being a tough physical team and being a dirty cheap shot team. They still play the same way and just commit hard fouls and throw elbows. Playing physical and tough is like Battier, Artest, etc. You play then straight up and stick your body to then. You bang without throwing elbows to hurt people. That’s why no mater how the lakers say they’ve focus on being tougher, people still see them as soft.