Bowen Has to Stop...

[spurster]

Kobe got 0 F/T's tonight. I think you should all STFU about Bowen's defense.

This is a good point because if Bowen is not going to get calls for Kobe pushoffs, then Kobe is not going to get as many calls. This will work as long as the refs know that Bowen has a legit complaint. Kobe doesn't stick out much of a chicken-wing so the refs have a hard time seeing it in real time, and even then they probably wouldn't call a foul, but if the refs look at game tape, they can see that Kobe is getting away with some contact, so the Spurs will be able to get away with some, too.

[Lake_show]

BTW, Kobe did get to the FT line.

[SenorSpur]

Flopping when Kobe gives him a little nudge with his shoulder/elbow/forearm...the refs will never give him the benefit of the doubt in that instance and he winds up giving Bryant open jumpers while he stumbles to the ground.

Other than that he and the rest of the team really clamped down on the Lakers as the game went on. The old game plan of defending L.A. finally came to fruition: Let Kobe try to play the role of hero in the 4th (provided it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass) while the rest of his ball-starved teammates slowly fade out-of-rhythm.

Good show.

Agree completely. Kobe is a superstar player. Bowen will rarely ever get that kind of call. He's better off keeping his position, than repeatedly trying to draw a foul. Plus the refs aren't stupid. They look down on that type of repeated flopping