Barnes and Alston both Earn 2 game Suspension

[Indazone]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6112585.html

Rockets' Alston to miss 2 games because of fight
By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Nov. 14, 2008, 12:10PM

SAN ANTONIO – Rockets guard Rafer Alston received a two-game suspension on Friday for his role in the scuffle in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game in Phoenix, forcing him to miss tonight’s game against the Spurs and Saturday’s against the New Orleans Hornets, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.
Alston went after Suns forward Matt Barnes after Barnes hit him while Alston set a screen for Tracy McGrady. Both were ejected from the game.

Barnes also received a two-game suspension. Suns point guard Steve Nash was suspended for one game for his role in the shoving that followed the confrontation.

Suns center Shaquille O’Neal was fined $35,000 and McGrady received a $25,000 fine. O’Neal, Nash and McGrady received technical fouls.
"Rafer and Matt Barnes, I didn’t think (the infractions) were equal because I thought one guy initiated and one retaliated," McGrady said. "The guy that really initiated should have had more games. I don’t think Rafer deserved the same amount of games."

"About the 25, I don’t care about that."

McGrady did dispute Barnes’ notion that McGrady had previous set a hard screen on Nash.

"A hard pick?" McGrady said. "That wasn’t a hard screen. His (teammate) should have called out a screen. Any screen is hard if your man doesn’t call it out and you don’t see it. It’s wasn’t a hard screen. He just didn’t see it. I think he already had a pinched nerve in his neck. I don’t set hard screens. I don’t think I set a hard screen in my career."

Asked about Barnes retaliating by running through an Alston screen, rather than on McGrady directly, McGrady said, "He chose wisely."

Players may appeal the league’s ruling, but that could only impact fines.

"I don’t have any (reaction)," Morey said. "To me, the league has a role to play to keep the integrity of the game high. I thought Phoenix’s role was bigger than ours and the league was move severe on Phoenix, which I thought was appropriate."

With Alston out, Aaron Brooks will start, but the Rockets could be limited off the bench more than by not having Brooks in his sixth man role, with Brent Barry a game-time decision because of a sprained right thumb.

Looks like the Spurs will get their wish. Alston won't play but...now we get to see what Brooks can do with playing 40 minutes.

[Tmac&Luther]

My god, the NBA has become so soft.......this shit would never happen 10 years ago.

[sribb43]

What a bunch of thugs.....

[sribb43]

Aaron Brooks will further prove he should be the starting PG

[stretch]

Alson's reaction didn't deserve the suspension at all. The punch he threw at Nash did.

[Anti.Hero]

This is bullshit. TMAc, Yao, Scola, AND Alston should have all been suspended for Fri.

NBA favoritism at its best.


And you know what, Adleman instigated the whole F'ing thing. His ass should be out too.

[JamStone]

Asked about Barnes retaliating by running through an Alston screen, rather than on McGrady directly, McGrady said, "He chose wisely."

Is T-Mac serious?

He's talking tough now? Dude, you're lucky YOUR back didn't give out when Shaq pushed you. Plus, he basically implied his own teammate is a punk by saying Matt Barnes was wise to go after Rafer. Is T-Mac a thug now?

Come on, Tracy.

[sook]

Is T-Mac serious?

He's talking tough now? Dude, you're lucky YOUR back didn't give out when Shaq pushed you. Plus, he basically implied his own teammate is a punk by saying Matt Barnes was wise to go after Rafer. Is T-Mac a thug now?

Come on, Tracy.

i'd rather have him like this, I'm glad he's toughening up again, he hasn't been had this kind of attitude since orlando.


Next time Kryalinko tries to hand check he'll know whats up

[Mad_Hatter]

i'd rather have him like this, I'm glad he's toughening up again, he hasn't been had this kind of attitude since orlando.


Next time Kryalinko tries to hand check he'll know whats up

maybe you should read the other quote in the article about not setting hard screens.

refs should be fined too they could have prevented the entire thing if they did their damn job. (well maybe rafer would have gotten in his face anyway but i doubt nothing more than trash talking)

[Buddy Holly]

I thought Rafer would get more than that to be honest. The reason being, he pushed a ref twice.

[crc21209]

How fucking stupid, Barnes and Alston 2 games I understand. But Nash? If Nash got 1 game so should T-Mac and Shaq. T-Mac for shoving Nash down and then Shaq for shoving T-Mac down. Talk about sucking the Rockets off.

[nil.ball]

What about Ron Artest? What happened to him!

[Anti.Hero]

Looking at the gif, Shaq could have tweaked TMac's back and broken Yao's ankle.

What a dick he would have felt like had that happened.

[to21]

Looks like the Spurs will get their wish. Alston won't play but...now we get to see what Brooks can do with playing 40 minutes.
Really, it was the Spurs wish for Alston not to play?

:lol

[angelbelow]

lmao why is nash suspended but tmac and shaq not?

[ploto]

Brent Barry will just play some PG.

[pauls931]

lmao why is nash suspended but tmac and shaq not?

Probaby the best way to punish the entire team. The next game is an automatic loss for Phoenix.

edit: Unless they play dallas.

[JordanL]

Poor Rockets homers... What T-Mac said was bullshit. Barnes made a hard paly, but it WAS a play. Alston threw a punch.

Those are very different things. Alston should have had a bigger suspension.

[Xylus]

Suns will be without Nash, Barnes and Barbosa in the next game against Sacramento.

I think it's ridiculous that Nash got suspended, when all he really did was charge into the fray. He didn't throw a punch or cause someone to bleed (Alston), he didn't commit an unnecessarily hard foul against an opponent (Barnes); he didn't even push anyone (TMac and Shaq). At one point it looked like he was going to try and rip Alston's head off, but Barbosa had him in a bear hug and nothing happened.

The NBA sure loves to suspend the Suns.


Edit: I'm not sure if Alston caused Nash to bleed, but that bruise/scab/whatever on his neck after the fight was hideous.

[ploto]

Nash got the suspension because he charged into the fray and escalated it.

[urunobili]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/14/sports/s112316S84.DTL

[Tmac&Luther]

Nash got the suspension because he charged into the fray and escalated it.

Yep........he's the one that really blew the shit up.

Alston and Barnes were the match...........Nash was the can of gasoline. What he did was completely stupid when you actually think about it.

Everybody was just trying to seperate players and get everything under control and then Nash just comes flying in to get after Rafer Alston thus causing the collective shit to hit the fan. If Nash doesn't go charging in after some one, it's just your average "player upset after a cheap shot" play...two off setting techs and back to your normal game.

I think the NBA handled this correctly.

[JackArse]

nash appeared to be going in to seperate them, then mcgrady pushed nash, and rafer was trying to yank his arm out of his socket or something. THEN nash got pissed.

and yeah, mcgrady must be really tough
i'd rather have him like this, I'm glad he's toughening up again, he hasn't been had this kind of attitude since orlando.
must be really tough pushing on a guy thats nearly half your size and trying to keep the peace.

now, nash should not have gotten suspended
barnes and rafer were partly because of their previous history together so i have no problem with that (also, no foul was called on the push and the ref was right there, refs allowed this to escalate)
tmac should've gotten a suspension, and yes, i would agree that shaq should've also.
this whole thing is just another reason to say.. fuck stern.

[JamStone]

When you look at the incident, you can argue that Shaq and T-Mac were trying to stop the fight even though they actually pushed people. Plus, they were trying to protect their teammates. Nash ran towards Rafer Alston. If Nash ran towards Matt Barnes to pull him away, I don't think he would have been suspended. But, Nash charged at Alston. I think that's where the distinction can be made even though both Shaq and T-Mac were the ones shoving people.

[pauls931]

The best thing to do is walk to the bench, pickup some popcorn and enjoy the show.

[resistanze]

I don’t set hard screens. I don’t think I set a hard screen in my career.

LOL.

[Tmac&Luther]

Nash was not going in to seperate anybody..there were players already doing that....he was running after Rafer and Tmac stood up for his teammate.

Nash was a dumbass on that play, because he could've ignited a huge fight where somebody could've gotten hurt.........that's why he got a game suspension.

[Tmac&Luther]

LOL.

To be honest......that wasn't even a hard screen, it was just your run of the mill average NBA screen, the Suns are freaking soft if they get upset when teams actually play NBA basketball and set screens.

[JackArse]

i didn't see it as a hard screen, barnes probably just saw the aftermath of nash holding his sholuder after, and from his position on the court, hadn't realized what had happened.

i still think it's just the rafer/barnes thing. that was just something else thrown in for fun.

[resistanze]

To be honest......that wasn't even a hard screen, it was just your run of the mill average NBA screen, the Suns are freaking soft if they get upset when teams actually play NBA basketball and set screens.

No, I'm laughing because I honestly believe him.

[Kamnik]

Udrih vs Dragic tonight.... IM PUMPED! :D

[mojorizen7]

Barnes deserved one game not two.
Alston deserved one game.
Nash's suspension is a fucking joke.
T-Mac deserved a game if Nash got a game.
Shaq deserved a game if Nash got a game.
Stern needs to go.
Suspensions in November don't mean shit.
Thats all.

[mojorizen7]

What about Ron Artest? What happened to him!

He's been implanted with a melee device that basically renders him a spectator by shutting his aggressive tendencies down with the use of high doses of melatonin and visions of pretty clouds.
It can be activated by Adelman only twice per season apparently.

[Lp26]

Weak.

[sook]

LOL at the idiots who think Nash was a peacekeeper, watch from a different angle, the first thing he did was grab alston's jersey. He was the can of gasoline as one of the guys here put it.

[RonMexico]

Fines for Nash, T-Mac, Shaq.

1 game each for Barnes and Alston and be done with it.

Typical league over-reaction to what really amounted to one of the weakest "fights" I've ever seen in my life.

Number of Kermit Washington punches that occurred? 0
Number of beer cups thrown at Ron Artest? 0
Number of times Jermaine O'Neal took down Turtle with a right cross? 0
Number of fouls that should have been called on Matt Barnes? 1 (and the subsequent confrontation would have been limited)
Number of hilarious Shaq shoves? At least 3
Number of punches actually thrown? I can't even tell because there was just a lot of pushing and grabbing.

Raja Bell clotheslined Kobe and got only one game (playoffs, yes), but 2 games for Alston and Barnes is ridiculous. They received an ejection (2 techs), and now 2 games on top of it? And yet KG received not even a tech or a warning when he taunted Calderon up and down the whole court.

This comes nowhere near Palace incident or Melo's bitch slap. Look at 1993 Suns/Knicks brawl and compare it to this pansy incident and you can't.

[RonMexico]

LOL at the idiots who think Nash was a peacekeeper, watch from a different angle, the first thing he did was grab alston's jersey. He was the can of gasoline as one of the guys here put it.

LOL at Rockets fans in the other thread(s) who said Nash ran in and then immediately flopped. I guess he slipped on all that gasoline he was carrying.