Should Amare and Diaw be banned for leaving the bench?

The rules are the rules are the rules.

Amare and Diaw left the bench during what was definitely a physical altercation (see Nash being restrained by an official).

On a personal note, I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion. Horry made a hard foul that at best is a flagrant 1. Nash did some extra acting to sell the foul and then gets up and acts like he wants a piece of Rob. But quite possibly the funniest part is when Raja Bell runs to play the tough guy role and Horry pops him in the jaw with a forearm before he can say a word.

My punishment?

Horry (mostly for his demeanor after the foul), Diaw, Amare all get a game. Nash has to give back one MVP trophy (2005) for being an unrealistic tough guy and Raja Bell has to take karate lessons so he learn to be a decent enforcer on such a soft squad.

And the Suns officially lost the momentum they gained by winning that game.

 

Ok, I just read on this thread that penalties have been dished out.

Tell me how Horry's foul gets him 2 games? That is the biggest BS of all.

 

Rules may be rules but this is a mistake on stern's part. If the spurs win this series and the title, it deserves to forever be tainted. I hope the suns win tommorrow short handed just to stick it to stern and his foolish strictness of the rules.

 

I guess he got a game for jacking Raja Bell in the jaw. That would make sense. 2 games is fair.

 

No it is not. He then comes in with an unprovoked elbow, and the suns lose two key players who had no involvement in the fracas. He better get more than they got.

 

Well, he couldn't be let off with a lighter, or even equal penalty, since he's the only one who got punished that really did anything.

 

Breaking news ala espn.com Horry, Stoudemire, Diaw are all suspended for game 5.

 

Stoudemire, Diaw suspended for 1 game; Horry for 2<

By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
May 15, 2007

PHOENIX (AP) -- Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire and teammate Boris Diaw were suspended Tuesday for one game for leaving the bench after Robert Horry's flagrant foul of Steve Nash in Game 4 of the Suns' Western Conference semifinal against San Antonio.

The NBA also announced Horry was suspended for two games for knocking Nash into the scorer's table with 18 seconds remaining in the Suns' 104-98 victory at San Antonio on Monday night. Phoenix's victory evened the series at 2-2.

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All three players will miss Wednesday night's Game 5 in Phoenix of what has been a rough, intense showdown between two of the best teams in the NBA. Horry also will miss Friday night's Game 6 in San Antonio.

Horry was suspended for flagrantly fouling Nash and striking Raja Bell about the shoulders with a forearm, NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson said in a statement. Stoudemire and Diaw were suspended for leaving "the immediate vicinity of their bench" during the altercation.

AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this story.



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ajs4wwx78iTlP6958l72K2Y5nYcB?slug=ap-suns-

 

So when is Duncan's suspension coming down?

 

Horry suspended for 2 games is weak. It was a good hard foul, nothing more.

Nash should be suspended 3 games for excessive flopping.

 

Wow, I'm shocked. Spurs win game 5. There's no way the Suns can win without 2 of their key rotational guys. Especially the only two players with any post presence for the Suns.

I guess Jalen Rose has to suite up now.

 

The Suns can win without Amare. If anything there is that surprise factor going the Suns way.

 

How I hope the Suns win. **** the Spers.

 

agreed. an overreaction by the suns resulted in refs having to throw out horry.

 

Damn, this just take all my enthusiasm of this series away.

 

They did the same thing with James Posey last year.

 

Overreaction my ass! At that point in the game, Horry could have breathed on Nash and gotten the whistle. What he did was excessive and he deserved the flagrant 2 + suspenstion. If Amare/Diaw didn't get suspended, he probably gets 1 game. But you can't justify him getting a punishment lesser than or equal to Amare/Diaw because he's the only one that really did anything. Excessive hip check to Nach, Forearm to Bell. 2 games is fair. If Carmello can get 15 games for a punch, 2 games is nothing for a couple of forearm shivers.

 

Why does the NBA always get itself into these messes?

There's a clear reason why its a distant third in terms of sports coverage in the American media.

 

posey and hinrich were at full speed in a fast break and there was no need to stop the clock.

 

like nash was getting the whistle all game
and like boozer fouling yao at the end of the game but no call?

if nash, amare and diaw kept their cool like veterans, this would have never developed.

as i said in another thread, horry did the exact same thing to majerle in the kiss of death game and no flagarant was called. jrich and baron didn't get suspended so why should these 3 players?

a punch to the face is far more excessive than a hip check.