Pooh
04-18-2004, 10:22 PM
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, Associated Press Writer
April 18, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ron Artest played a huge role in Indiana's dominating Game 1 win over Boston, but the Pacers might be without their star in Game 2.
Artest is facing a possible suspension for briefly leaving the bench during a confrontation between teammate Jermaine O'Neal and Boston's Brandon Hunter and Ricky Davis.
"If it's judged on intent, he won't be suspended,'' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday. "If it's judged technically, he will. Frankly, neither decision would surprise me.''
In the second quarter of Indiana's 104-88 win on Saturday, Hunter grabbed O'Neal and threw him to the floor. O'Neal got up and immediately confronted Hunter, then drew a technical for yelling at Davis.
Artest, who was on the bench at the time, started onto the court when he saw O'Neal lose his composure, but turned and headed back to the bench after about four steps.
"I thought they were about to start fighting,'' Artest said. "I just wanted to tell Jermaine to calm down. When I sensed they were going to fight, I had to run back.''
Artest said he gave a statement to a league official on Sunday morning and was assured that he would not be suspended.
But an NBA spokesman said officials are still reviewing the play and have not made a decision.
Losing Artest would be a big blow to the top-seeded Pacers. He scored 24 points and shut down Paul Pierce for the final three quarters of the Pacers' easy win.
The Pacers have scheduled a news conference for Monday afternoon where Artest is expected to win the league's defensive player of the year award.
The Celtics are lobbying hard for a suspension.
"I state emphatically you cannot leave the bench. It's illegal to do it, and once you do it, you've broken the rule,'' Celtics coach John Carroll said. "The rule states if you leave the bench you should be suspended for a game. He clearly left the bench. He's just lucky a fight didn't break out, but it could have broken out.''
Carroll said he told league officials that if they do not suspend Artest, ``they're setting themselves up for future problems. You cannot have a player leave the bench and come on the court for any reason whatsoever.''
Carlisle defended his player, saying Artest's "intentions were purely benevolent. ... He saw that Jermaine was in the process of being intentionally provoked into an ejection. His instinct was to go pull him out, so he didn't get ejected and then, three steps out, he realized he wasn't supposed to be out there and he got back.''
The confrontation has touched off some verbal sparring between Carlisle and Carroll.
On Sunday, Carlisle suggested that Hunter, a seldom-used rookie, was intentionally trying to provoke the Pacers' leading scorer and rebounder.
"If they're going to deem this situation a suspendable offense for one of our All-Star players, then they have to take a hard look at what Hunter did and that's got to be dealt with severity commensurate with what they're going to do to our guy,'' Carlisle said.
"To see him grab an MVP-caliber player and just throw him to the floor, to me, was out of character for him,'' Carlisle said of Hunter. "That's why it got my attention.''
Carroll strongly denied that Hunter was being used to provoke O'Neal.
"Rick's entitled to say what he wants to say,'' Carroll said. "That's his choice. That's his opinion. I'm disappointed in those kinds of quotes. People don't know me very well if they insinuate that.''
Carroll said Hunter was inserted to spell a fatigued front line, not to start a fight.
"I would never, ever, ever ruin the integrity of the game to be able to win a game,'' Carroll said. "I would never send anybody into a game to hurt anybody on purpose.''
O'Neal said he thought the Hunter's takedown was intentional, but didn't take it personally.
"I think he might've been put in the game just for that,'' O'Neal said. "I'm prepared for it. I'm about to go lift some more weights right now and get ready for Game 2 (on Tuesday).''
April 18, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ron Artest played a huge role in Indiana's dominating Game 1 win over Boston, but the Pacers might be without their star in Game 2.
Artest is facing a possible suspension for briefly leaving the bench during a confrontation between teammate Jermaine O'Neal and Boston's Brandon Hunter and Ricky Davis.
"If it's judged on intent, he won't be suspended,'' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday. "If it's judged technically, he will. Frankly, neither decision would surprise me.''
In the second quarter of Indiana's 104-88 win on Saturday, Hunter grabbed O'Neal and threw him to the floor. O'Neal got up and immediately confronted Hunter, then drew a technical for yelling at Davis.
Artest, who was on the bench at the time, started onto the court when he saw O'Neal lose his composure, but turned and headed back to the bench after about four steps.
"I thought they were about to start fighting,'' Artest said. "I just wanted to tell Jermaine to calm down. When I sensed they were going to fight, I had to run back.''
Artest said he gave a statement to a league official on Sunday morning and was assured that he would not be suspended.
But an NBA spokesman said officials are still reviewing the play and have not made a decision.
Losing Artest would be a big blow to the top-seeded Pacers. He scored 24 points and shut down Paul Pierce for the final three quarters of the Pacers' easy win.
The Pacers have scheduled a news conference for Monday afternoon where Artest is expected to win the league's defensive player of the year award.
The Celtics are lobbying hard for a suspension.
"I state emphatically you cannot leave the bench. It's illegal to do it, and once you do it, you've broken the rule,'' Celtics coach John Carroll said. "The rule states if you leave the bench you should be suspended for a game. He clearly left the bench. He's just lucky a fight didn't break out, but it could have broken out.''
Carroll said he told league officials that if they do not suspend Artest, ``they're setting themselves up for future problems. You cannot have a player leave the bench and come on the court for any reason whatsoever.''
Carlisle defended his player, saying Artest's "intentions were purely benevolent. ... He saw that Jermaine was in the process of being intentionally provoked into an ejection. His instinct was to go pull him out, so he didn't get ejected and then, three steps out, he realized he wasn't supposed to be out there and he got back.''
The confrontation has touched off some verbal sparring between Carlisle and Carroll.
On Sunday, Carlisle suggested that Hunter, a seldom-used rookie, was intentionally trying to provoke the Pacers' leading scorer and rebounder.
"If they're going to deem this situation a suspendable offense for one of our All-Star players, then they have to take a hard look at what Hunter did and that's got to be dealt with severity commensurate with what they're going to do to our guy,'' Carlisle said.
"To see him grab an MVP-caliber player and just throw him to the floor, to me, was out of character for him,'' Carlisle said of Hunter. "That's why it got my attention.''
Carroll strongly denied that Hunter was being used to provoke O'Neal.
"Rick's entitled to say what he wants to say,'' Carroll said. "That's his choice. That's his opinion. I'm disappointed in those kinds of quotes. People don't know me very well if they insinuate that.''
Carroll said Hunter was inserted to spell a fatigued front line, not to start a fight.
"I would never, ever, ever ruin the integrity of the game to be able to win a game,'' Carroll said. "I would never send anybody into a game to hurt anybody on purpose.''
O'Neal said he thought the Hunter's takedown was intentional, but didn't take it personally.
"I think he might've been put in the game just for that,'' O'Neal said. "I'm prepared for it. I'm about to go lift some more weights right now and get ready for Game 2 (on Tuesday).''