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Spurs-Kings notebook: Artest's hard foul under league review
Web Posted: 04/24/2006 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
The NBA is reviewing whether Ron Artest's foul on Manu Ginobili in Saturday's game warrants being upgraded to a flagrant violation, a league official said Sunday.
Artest hit Ginobili in the side of the face with his forearm early in the third quarter of the Spurs' 122-88 victory. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich immediately complained to the officials that Artest deserved a flagrant foul.
If the foul is upgraded to a flagrant 1 penalty, Artest could receive a small fine, if that. In the less likely event the league decided to change it to a flagrant 2 foul, Artest could be suspended for Tuesday's game.
When deciding whether to reclassify a foul or levy a fine and/or suspension, the NBA weighs: the severity of the foul; whether the foul led to an altercation; and the level of the injury sustained by the player who was fouled. Given that Ginobili wasn't seriously injured, it seems unlikely Artest would be given a flagrant 2 penalty.
Players are allowed to accumulate three flagrant points during the playoffs. Their fourth and subsequent points bring an automatic ejection.
Artest, who also hit Tim Duncan in the back of the head on one trip down the floor, took his share of punishment. On the game's opening possession, Ginobili elbowed him in the face while chasing the ball.
Artest needed three stitches to close the cut on his lip. He declined to talk to reporters Sunday for the second day in a row, citing the injury.
Different approaches: While Popovich gave the Spurs Sunday off, Sacramento coach Rick Adelman put his team through a two-hour film session followed by an hour-long practice.
Adelman thought it was important the Kings see the mistakes they made Saturday on film.
"We were very explicit with what went on," Adelman said. "They're the world champs, and they turned it up a notch — a big notch.
"You either respond to that or you don't ... I think they'll respond."
The Spurs will practice this afternoon.
No apologies necessary: If the Kings took offense to Nazr Mohammed's insult-on-top-of-injury 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Saturday's loss, they weren't letting on about it.
After Mohammed made the 3-pointer, the second of his career, he received a lengthy tongue-lashing from Popovich, who didn't want to give the Kings any reason to feel disrespected.
But Sacramento guard Mike Bibby said Mohammed's shot was understandable because the shot clock was winding down, and other Kings said they had bigger things to worry about than a garbage-time basket.
"The 30 points they beat us by was disrespectful," forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim "I'm more concerned with that than (Mohammed) hitting the 3."
Simply stated: It didn't take a genius for the Kings to determine why they were outrebounded badly in Game1 and what it will take to turn things around in Game2.
"We just have to rebound harder," starting guard Bonzi Wells said. "That's it. We've got to go get them. We thought somebody else was going to get them in the first game."
Spurs-Kings notebook: Artest's hard foul under league review
Web Posted: 04/24/2006 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
The NBA is reviewing whether Ron Artest's foul on Manu Ginobili in Saturday's game warrants being upgraded to a flagrant violation, a league official said Sunday.
Artest hit Ginobili in the side of the face with his forearm early in the third quarter of the Spurs' 122-88 victory. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich immediately complained to the officials that Artest deserved a flagrant foul.
If the foul is upgraded to a flagrant 1 penalty, Artest could receive a small fine, if that. In the less likely event the league decided to change it to a flagrant 2 foul, Artest could be suspended for Tuesday's game.
When deciding whether to reclassify a foul or levy a fine and/or suspension, the NBA weighs: the severity of the foul; whether the foul led to an altercation; and the level of the injury sustained by the player who was fouled. Given that Ginobili wasn't seriously injured, it seems unlikely Artest would be given a flagrant 2 penalty.
Players are allowed to accumulate three flagrant points during the playoffs. Their fourth and subsequent points bring an automatic ejection.
Artest, who also hit Tim Duncan in the back of the head on one trip down the floor, took his share of punishment. On the game's opening possession, Ginobili elbowed him in the face while chasing the ball.
Artest needed three stitches to close the cut on his lip. He declined to talk to reporters Sunday for the second day in a row, citing the injury.
Different approaches: While Popovich gave the Spurs Sunday off, Sacramento coach Rick Adelman put his team through a two-hour film session followed by an hour-long practice.
Adelman thought it was important the Kings see the mistakes they made Saturday on film.
"We were very explicit with what went on," Adelman said. "They're the world champs, and they turned it up a notch — a big notch.
"You either respond to that or you don't ... I think they'll respond."
The Spurs will practice this afternoon.
No apologies necessary: If the Kings took offense to Nazr Mohammed's insult-on-top-of-injury 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Saturday's loss, they weren't letting on about it.
After Mohammed made the 3-pointer, the second of his career, he received a lengthy tongue-lashing from Popovich, who didn't want to give the Kings any reason to feel disrespected.
But Sacramento guard Mike Bibby said Mohammed's shot was understandable because the shot clock was winding down, and other Kings said they had bigger things to worry about than a garbage-time basket.
"The 30 points they beat us by was disrespectful," forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim "I'm more concerned with that than (Mohammed) hitting the 3."
Simply stated: It didn't take a genius for the Kings to determine why they were outrebounded badly in Game1 and what it will take to turn things around in Game2.
"We just have to rebound harder," starting guard Bonzi Wells said. "That's it. We've got to go get them. We thought somebody else was going to get them in the first game."
