Honestly though, if Rafer just keeps a cool head and goes back down the court with a 20 point lead in hand, no fight breaks out. But at the same time, how do the refs miss that call? If the refs make that call, no fight. And its not like it was down low, in traffic, etc. It was right out front, just the two of them, right next to the ball carrier. Did they think Rafer was flopping?
This wasn't really 'fighting' people were just pushing each other. big deal, i found it exciting and it was what this team needs, it shows if you push us we'll push you! (then you'll push us again). but it shows toughness.
Shaq was just being playful... I know he is good friends with a lot of the Rockets players especially Yao and Mac. I think Shaq actually defused the situation by pushing all of our team to the floor. Imagine if he actually was upset and used all his power. Mac went flying like a rag doll with a love tap from Shaq. If anything Barnes is the punk for everything. I guarantee if that was Artest, Hayes, Landry setting the pick for Mcgrady or anybody besides Alston/Brooks he wouldn't have lowered his shoulder like he did.
yup, and i don't think any suspensions are deserved. on either side. if anything, rafer/barnes 1 game each. that's not a flagrant-2 on barnes, for whoever suggested that.. offensive foul, yes. flagrant 1 if you're being really nitpicky.. but come on. What shaq did was fine with me.. generally keeping people apart (with powerful shoves since he's a big man), and then protecting nash because tmac shoved nash. I like that tmac was pretty damn pissed
yeah, Shaq is the worst one here. He should be ejected and banned for several games. Anyway, the referee should be banned too, because he let the situation out of control.
also, didn't barnes hammer tmac in the head on that drive for the left-handed layup earlier in the 3rd Q? Right after the play barnes was asking for a tmac-off-arm-foul, so maybe I got a bad angle...but it looked barnes hit him pretty hard
here's an example of some early 90s 'fighting' this video shows what happened before the storm, the 'fighting' starts at the midway point noted participants: Kevin Johnson - Mayor of Sacremento Doc Rivers - Coach of the Celtics Greg Anthony - ESPN NBA Analyst <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GO5OQAmG8gY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GO5OQAmG8gY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
The ONLY thing you should wish for after a fight like this is for no Rockets to get suspended. We're done playing the Suns for a while. Let them keep their players, and let us keep ours.
This would have been the perfect call: Eject Rafer; Technicals for Nash, Barnes, and Shaq T-mac did throw Nash to the ground, but Nash was grabbing Rafer's jersey. How else do you get a canadian off your teammate. Incidentally, I do remember ESPN during the coverage blaming the whole incident on Barnes.
According to Skip Bayless, the Rockets are a bunch of whimps who are trying to act tough. McGrady started it with a "hard" screen on Nash (please) and how he attacked poor little Nash. He forgets to mention the fact that Nash was going after Rafer. The other guy who was arguing with Bayless had it right. It wasn't a big deal and Barnes is the main offender. On another note, does anyone else notice that the person on the opposite side of the table from Skip Bayless is ALWAYS black? I have never once seen a white person talk to him. Well I think Woody Paige did back when it was Cold Pizza, but in recent months it is always someone black. Seems odd..
Skip Bayless hates all Star SF/SGs.... Remember this is the guy who hates Lebron James for being a "bad" outside shooter Hates Kobe for not being a team player Hates Mcgrady for never getting out of the first round and hates Carmelo for shaving his hair.... Bayless basically is the source of any negativity in the league. He basically only likes two players based off my experience of listening to him. Brandon Roy and Chris Paul.
skip bayless is ESPN's rush limbaugh suspend barnes for 2, rafer for 2, nash for 1 (escalating) and be done with it.
Why are we even mentioning that worthless sac known as Skip Bayless? WTF does he know? Absolutely nothing.
that was hilarious - big old shaq just pushing anything with a red jersey so deliberately...it was almost like this massive panda bear just pushing and pushing for no reason at all - almost innocent because it wasn't enough to hurt anyone.
first of all, if you're listening to Skip Bayless turn off your set. and toss it out the window. between skip and the horse faced lady that show is a train wreck no matter who is sitting across from skip nash did nothing wrong. PERIOD. he sees Alston basically (from his viewpoint) cheapshot a teammate and as a vet and leader on the court he isn't going to stand for it tmac, same thing. from his perspective nash is instigating yao, to his credit gets in and holds both combatants apart artest, to his credit does nothing the only asshat in the entire thing is shaq who runs in... not like yao to protect and separate... but like a 12 year old bully and pushes not once but twice after the parties are separated. he pushes tmac into nash and then a moment later since no one does anything he pushes yao into alston for no reason if that was anyone but shaq they'd be suspended. $$$tern strikes again
