Rockets Notes: Team appeals technical on Artest

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6089422.html

Rockets Notes: Team appeals technical on Artest
<b>By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Nov. 1, 2008, 12:29AM</b>

The Rockets are appealing the technical foul that forward Ron Artest received in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks on Thursday, and will also provide the NBA with video of Dallas forward Josh Howard apparently tripping Yao Ming earlier in the game, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.

Rockets coach Rick Adelman said he was told Artest received the technical foul for “escalating the situation.” Yao had been fouled by Howard when Artest rushed toward the group of players in the lane, pushed past Howard and Jason Kidd to get to Yao and guide him away from the Mavericks.

“I think that technical foul is unfair for him,” Yao said. “He was just trying to separate us. He wasn’t trying to do something else. That technical foul is a little unfair, in my opinion.

“Ron is a very good guy, very good teammate. This happened once in the preseason. He did the same thing. He ran over to help.”

In New Hampshire, Artest got between Celtics rookie Bill Walker and Yao after a hard foul by Walker.

But Artest said the incident Thursday was just part of the game.

“I saw an elbow,” Artest said. “It happens. A technical foul. No punches thrown. ”

Battier progressing
Rockets forward Shane Battier dramatically stepped up his workload in his rehabilitation of his sore left foot Thursday, though it remains unclear when he could practice for the first time this season.

Battier on Thursday added more quick, reaction cuts, the sort that prevents him from bracing his left ankle to prepare for the stress. Battier plans to continue to add to the workouts as long as his foot responds the next day, but could not predict when he will try to join the Rockets practices.

“This is the first day I did light contact with Shawn Respert (Rockets director of player programs),” Battier said. “I did some quasi-running. I started to get fatigued in the end. That’s why I stopped. I have to build up the strength. The most dangerous thing with a weak ankle is when you start to fatigue the muscles in your ankle. It puts a lot more stress on the joint, and that puts you back to the usual problems.

“The more I do every day, the more it builds up strength to where I can get that muscle strength back. ”

 

It's possible that Yao and Howard could both get suspended for a game because of the video. Even though I thought Howard did intenionally tripped
Yao on that play, but Yao also tried the same on Howard when he was on the floor.