Because of the tie breaker situation, it looks like the Monarchs will open up the playoffs on the road against the Phoenix Mercury. I know the standard answer from players is "it does not matter who we play". But from a fan's point of view, there is no question in my mind that I would much rather play Phoenix than Los Angeles. Not that I am afraid of Leslie and her "trolls", but if you watched last night's game against The Houston Comets on NBA TV, you saw how the Sparks like to get down!! The hard fouls, the elbows the cheap shots and the like. This is from today's edition from the LA Times:
Joe Bryant said he "went Philly" in the fray.
The new Spark coach was far from the only one to be involved in an on-court incident after Los Angeles' 55-50 victory over the Houston Comets on Sunday night at Staples Center, and he wasn't the first to exchange harsh words.
The dispute began over the Sparks' accusations of a cheap shot by Houston's Tina Thompson that sent Los Angeles' Laura Macchi to the floor at the end of the game.
By the time it was over, players from both teams had exchanged shoves, fists were raised, Bryant and Houston Coach Van Chancellor exchanged harsh words and reportedly even Spark owner Johnny Buss joined the dispute on the court.
It was not immediately known whether any punches were thrown, but no one was injured on a night when the Sparks were fighting for playoff survival with a victory that kept them one game behind the fourth-place Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA's Western Conference playoff race.
After the game, Macchi stayed on the floor several minutes while several Sparks — most notably Christi Thomas — had to be restrained from going after Thompson.
"[Thompson] took a cheap shot at one of my teammates and I told her it was uncalled for," said Christi Thomas, who added there was some shoves exchanged by the players.
"She said something to me … it was the heat of the moment," Thomas said. "But you take a cheap shot at one of my teammates, and we've got to stick up for one another."
Macchi, whose primary language is Italian, had Spark center Lisa Leslie speak for her.
"She said she went to box Thompson out [after Houston's final shot] and she swept her leg out from under her," Leslie said. "That's what [Macchi] said, because I didn't see it."
Bryant, in his third game as the Spark coach, added: "It was an old-fashioned soccer leg whip. I asked Tina, 'What did you do?' She said, 'Oh, she flopped.' I said 'I know you're a better player than that.' And then Van came up and questioned me talking to his player. Then I went Philly on him. But it's all good.
Now I know that Houston "was supposed to be" the instigator in this incident, but we all know better. How many times have we seen Leslie lay that big 'ole arm smack down on a players head. How many times have we seen Dixon and Mbeka "go straight up gangsta" on an opposing player. And if they still had Milton-Jones....my God, I can not even imagine.
As a Monarch fan, I do not want any part of that nonsense. Because that team is so desperate, when the Monarchs beat them, I am afraid that they would have little left to continue forward on their march to the Finals. I am 100 percent sure that Sacramento can beat LA, but at what cost is what concerns me.
Bring on Phoenix.
Joe Bryant said he "went Philly" in the fray.
The new Spark coach was far from the only one to be involved in an on-court incident after Los Angeles' 55-50 victory over the Houston Comets on Sunday night at Staples Center, and he wasn't the first to exchange harsh words.
The dispute began over the Sparks' accusations of a cheap shot by Houston's Tina Thompson that sent Los Angeles' Laura Macchi to the floor at the end of the game.
By the time it was over, players from both teams had exchanged shoves, fists were raised, Bryant and Houston Coach Van Chancellor exchanged harsh words and reportedly even Spark owner Johnny Buss joined the dispute on the court.
It was not immediately known whether any punches were thrown, but no one was injured on a night when the Sparks were fighting for playoff survival with a victory that kept them one game behind the fourth-place Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA's Western Conference playoff race.
After the game, Macchi stayed on the floor several minutes while several Sparks — most notably Christi Thomas — had to be restrained from going after Thompson.
"[Thompson] took a cheap shot at one of my teammates and I told her it was uncalled for," said Christi Thomas, who added there was some shoves exchanged by the players.
"She said something to me … it was the heat of the moment," Thomas said. "But you take a cheap shot at one of my teammates, and we've got to stick up for one another."
Macchi, whose primary language is Italian, had Spark center Lisa Leslie speak for her.
"She said she went to box Thompson out [after Houston's final shot] and she swept her leg out from under her," Leslie said. "That's what [Macchi] said, because I didn't see it."
Bryant, in his third game as the Spark coach, added: "It was an old-fashioned soccer leg whip. I asked Tina, 'What did you do?' She said, 'Oh, she flopped.' I said 'I know you're a better player than that.' And then Van came up and questioned me talking to his player. Then I went Philly on him. But it's all good.
Now I know that Houston "was supposed to be" the instigator in this incident, but we all know better. How many times have we seen Leslie lay that big 'ole arm smack down on a players head. How many times have we seen Dixon and Mbeka "go straight up gangsta" on an opposing player. And if they still had Milton-Jones....my God, I can not even imagine.
As a Monarch fan, I do not want any part of that nonsense. Because that team is so desperate, when the Monarchs beat them, I am afraid that they would have little left to continue forward on their march to the Finals. I am 100 percent sure that Sacramento can beat LA, but at what cost is what concerns me.
Bring on Phoenix.
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