Strike
12-17-2007, 01:20 PM
From the San Antonio Express News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA121707.SpursHorry.en.29a9d93.html)
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b161/wdejesus79/fight2.jpg
Web Posted: 12/16/2007 11:13 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News staff writer
It has been eight months since Steve Nash went hurtling into the scorer's table at the AT&T Center, which precipitated the suspension of two of his own teammates for a key playoff game against the Spurs, which in turn changed the complexion of last May's Western Conference finals, which in turn sent all of the greater Phoenix area into a tizzy of wailing and teeth gnashing.
Eight months has not been nearly enough time to heal the hurt that incident wrought.
It turns out Robert Horry is still pretty shaken up by the whole thing.
He was suspended for two games for launching the hip check heard 'round the NBA world.
"And I should have only gotten a one-game suspension," the Spurs forward maintains still.
Tonight, the Phoenix Suns return to San Antonio for the first time since that contentious semifinal series, one that Phoenix fans still howl Horry irrevocably altered with a well-timed shot to Nash in Game 4.
If the Suns have come to collect an Horry apology, they are sure to be leaving town empty-handed.
"I'm from the old school," an unrepentant Horry said Sunday. "When I came into the league, it was no blood, no flagrant foul. That (on Nash) was just a hard foul."
The most famous foul in either franchise's history was indeed bloodless and indeed hard. It came as the Suns were running out the clock on a decisive Game 4 victory on the Spurs' home floor, one that had deadlocked the series at 2-2 heading back to Phoenix.
Nash came dribbling up the sideline. Horry slid over — meaning, he says, to draw a charge — and wound up pinballing the Suns' All-Star point guard into the scorer's table. It would be Horry's last act in the series.
In the mini melee that followed, two prominent Suns — Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw — wandered away from their bench, an infraction for which NBA rules prescribe an automatic one-game suspension.
Shorthanded, the Suns dropped Game 5 in Phoenix to lose series momentum, then dropped Game 6 at the AT&T Center to lose the series altogether.
After the finale, the Suns wondered aloud what might have been if not for the Game 5 suspensions.
For many fans nationwide, Horry's hit on Nash became the enduring snapshot of last year's playoffs. The foul — and the fallout — at once transformed Horry into a black-hatted NBA villain, and nudged the Spurs-Suns rivalry from friendly toward cantankerous.
"Lots of people think lots of different things, depending on who you are rooting for," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "All of us wish there were no suspensions, that's for sure. It has to have an effect on a team."
At the time, Nash deemed the NBA's ruling to suspend his teammates "stupid."
Eight months later, Nash's rhetoric has softened some. He even seems to have forgiven the man who made all the pandemonium possible.
"I have nothing against Robert at all," Nash said Sunday.
Meanwhile, Horry says he still hasn't seen video of the hit. And he still hasn't completely gotten over its ugly aftermath.
What irks him most is the lingering assumption that the Spurs would not have gone on to win their fourth title if he hadn't inadvertently sabotaged the Suns in Game 5.
Many fans — most of them from the Phoenix area code — still believe the Spurs should have presented NBA commissioner David Stern with a championship ring at the start of this season, instead of vice versa.
"I'm tired of these people who don't play basketball saying if (the hit) wouldn't have happened, the outcome would have been different," Horry said. "If they were so smart and knew what the outcome was going to be, they'd all be in (Las) Vegas betting and be millionaires."
Translation: No, Horry is not sorry for his fateful hip check.
The closest he came Sunday to offering a Nash-related mea culpa was this: "Tell Steve I'm sorry I missed his charity event this summer."
To which Nash replied, tongue firmly in cheek: "Well, now I am mad at him."
__________________________
No apology from Bob. I love it.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b161/wdejesus79/fight2.jpg
Web Posted: 12/16/2007 11:13 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News staff writer
It has been eight months since Steve Nash went hurtling into the scorer's table at the AT&T Center, which precipitated the suspension of two of his own teammates for a key playoff game against the Spurs, which in turn changed the complexion of last May's Western Conference finals, which in turn sent all of the greater Phoenix area into a tizzy of wailing and teeth gnashing.
Eight months has not been nearly enough time to heal the hurt that incident wrought.
It turns out Robert Horry is still pretty shaken up by the whole thing.
He was suspended for two games for launching the hip check heard 'round the NBA world.
"And I should have only gotten a one-game suspension," the Spurs forward maintains still.
Tonight, the Phoenix Suns return to San Antonio for the first time since that contentious semifinal series, one that Phoenix fans still howl Horry irrevocably altered with a well-timed shot to Nash in Game 4.
If the Suns have come to collect an Horry apology, they are sure to be leaving town empty-handed.
"I'm from the old school," an unrepentant Horry said Sunday. "When I came into the league, it was no blood, no flagrant foul. That (on Nash) was just a hard foul."
The most famous foul in either franchise's history was indeed bloodless and indeed hard. It came as the Suns were running out the clock on a decisive Game 4 victory on the Spurs' home floor, one that had deadlocked the series at 2-2 heading back to Phoenix.
Nash came dribbling up the sideline. Horry slid over — meaning, he says, to draw a charge — and wound up pinballing the Suns' All-Star point guard into the scorer's table. It would be Horry's last act in the series.
In the mini melee that followed, two prominent Suns — Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw — wandered away from their bench, an infraction for which NBA rules prescribe an automatic one-game suspension.
Shorthanded, the Suns dropped Game 5 in Phoenix to lose series momentum, then dropped Game 6 at the AT&T Center to lose the series altogether.
After the finale, the Suns wondered aloud what might have been if not for the Game 5 suspensions.
For many fans nationwide, Horry's hit on Nash became the enduring snapshot of last year's playoffs. The foul — and the fallout — at once transformed Horry into a black-hatted NBA villain, and nudged the Spurs-Suns rivalry from friendly toward cantankerous.
"Lots of people think lots of different things, depending on who you are rooting for," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "All of us wish there were no suspensions, that's for sure. It has to have an effect on a team."
At the time, Nash deemed the NBA's ruling to suspend his teammates "stupid."
Eight months later, Nash's rhetoric has softened some. He even seems to have forgiven the man who made all the pandemonium possible.
"I have nothing against Robert at all," Nash said Sunday.
Meanwhile, Horry says he still hasn't seen video of the hit. And he still hasn't completely gotten over its ugly aftermath.
What irks him most is the lingering assumption that the Spurs would not have gone on to win their fourth title if he hadn't inadvertently sabotaged the Suns in Game 5.
Many fans — most of them from the Phoenix area code — still believe the Spurs should have presented NBA commissioner David Stern with a championship ring at the start of this season, instead of vice versa.
"I'm tired of these people who don't play basketball saying if (the hit) wouldn't have happened, the outcome would have been different," Horry said. "If they were so smart and knew what the outcome was going to be, they'd all be in (Las) Vegas betting and be millionaires."
Translation: No, Horry is not sorry for his fateful hip check.
The closest he came Sunday to offering a Nash-related mea culpa was this: "Tell Steve I'm sorry I missed his charity event this summer."
To which Nash replied, tongue firmly in cheek: "Well, now I am mad at him."
__________________________
No apology from Bob. I love it.