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He admits that Duncan basically said nothing to get tossed, THEN called him a POS. Joey? After the fact doesn't count....
He admits that Duncan basically said nothing to get tossed, THEN called him a POS. Joey? After the fact doesn't count....
Here's the whole AP story that quote is coming from ...
DALLAS (AP) -Losing a tense, physical, emotional game to their top rival and being forced to settle for the third seed in the Western Conference was bad enough for Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.
Even worse: Duncan is convinced official Joey Crawford is out to get him, with a brawl possibly needed to settle things.
Crawford hit Duncan with two technical fouls just 1:16 apart late in the third quarter of San Antonio's 91-86 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. The second came while he was laughing on the bench and meant an automatic ejection, just the second of his nine-year career.
"He looked at me and said, `Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?''' Duncan said. "If he wants to fight, we can fight. I don't have any problem with him, but we can do it if he wants to. I have no reason why in the middle of a game he would yell at me, `Do you want to fight?'''
The Spurs sorely missed their top player down the stretch, failing to score a basket over the last 6:32 while allowing a 9-0 run to end the game. The loss ended their hopes of catching Phoenix for the No. 2 seed and home-court advantage if they meet in the second round.
While this was a thrilling game between Western Conference powers, the story of the day turned out to be Duncan vs. Crawford.
"He came into the game with a personal vendetta against me,'' said Duncan, who had 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks in his limited action. "It had to be because I didn't do anything the entire game. I said three words to him and the three words were, 'I got fouled' on a shot. ... That's all I said to him the entire game.''
Crawford disagreed, saying that "he was complaining the whole game.''
"And then he went over to the bench and he was over there doing the same stuff behind our back,'' Crawford said. "I hit him with one (technical) and he kept going over there, and I look over there and he's still complaining. So I threw him out.''
Crawford spoke to a pool reporter before Duncan spoke to the media. Asked about Duncan not thinking he deserved to be tossed, Crawford said: "That's his opinion. He said nothing when he was walking off the court and he called me a piece of (expletive). Is that nothing?''
San Antonio had won six straight and was on a 12-1 roll. The only loss came against Indiana - another game that Crawford worked and another game that he rang up a T on Duncan.
"I kind of imagine it stemmed from that,'' Duncan said. "I don't have a problem with Joey. Obviously he's got a problem with me.''
Teammate Bruce Bowen, who also got a technical from Crawford in the third quarter, couldn't believe his superstar teammate was tossed, especially for something so mild.
"Do I think it was deserved? No,'' Bowen said. "For a former MVP of the league, a guy that doesn't curse out the officials like I hear some of the other guys cursing out the officials, I think it was unfortunate that he was dealt this blow.''
Said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: "My beliefs will be shared privately, not with (reporters).''
Dirk Nowitzki and Devin Harris each scored 21 points in a game the Mavericks may have used as their dress rehearsal for the playoffs. They won for the 66th time this season, tying the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks for ninth-best in league history. They also sealed their home record at 36-5, tying the best in franchise history.
Because the only intrigue left to the season is who Dallas will face in the first round and when, coach Avery Johnson rested various top players over the past five games. Not this time, even though he said before the game that he'd be watching players' minutes. Fans realized Dallas was going all out when Nowitzki returned from a long rest early in the fourth quarter, cheering loudly.
Part of the motivation was that the Mavericks wanted to bounce back from a lackluster home loss to Utah.
"We didn't want to lose two in a row at home so we went for it,'' Nowitzki said. "We kept on fighting to win the game.''
His jumper off a rebound tied the game at 86 with 1:15 left. On San Antonio's next series, Manu Ginobili drove past Greg Buckner but Josh Howard was there to strip the ball. Buckner took it all the way for a layup and the lead with 50 seconds to go.
Bowen missed a jumper from the left side on the Spurs' next trip and Jerry Stackhouse made one of two free throws. With San Antonio down by 3, long-distance ace Brent Barry got the ball but had to put up a long, wild heave. Harris made a pair of free throws to cap the last possible meeting between the teams until the Western Conference finals.
The Mavericks knew they dodged a break by avoiding Duncan the last 13-plus minutes.
"It was a big momentum shift,'' Dallas' Jason Terry said of the ejection. "They needed him down the stretch. They needed him to go to.''
Dallas won the season series 3-1, taking the last three. This was the first game won by the home team.
Tony Parker led San Antonio with 23 points. Ginobili scored 16, but the Spurs scored their fewest points since March 17. They had scored at least 109 the previous four games.
Howard had 15 points and six rebounds. Stackhouse, playing only for the second time in five games, scored 14.
Notes: Dallas center Erick Dampier missed his third straight game with a shoulder injury. ... San Antonio has 58 wins with two games left. The Spurs are trying to reach 60 for the fourth time and third in five years. ... Dallas finished the regular season with 234 consecutive sellouts. They drew a crowd of 20,444, some of whom were returning hours later for an NHL playoff game between the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks.
I imagine there were other people who heard Crawford say this. I'm really hoping somebody caught it on video though.
I think he was being sarcastic.
Though in Duncan's defense he was saying he didn't say anything when the techs were called...he never denied not saying anything after the calls were made.
Duncan did call him an expletive as he was leaving the arena when he was tossed...I believe Mic e Tofoya reported that. But the camera was on Duncan the entire time almost when the techs were called and you didn't really see him say anything except just laugh mockingly at the crappy calls made by Crawford.
A blind person could see Duncan wasn't saying anything. Laughing doesn't not equal complaining."And then he went over to the bench and he was over there doing the same stuff behind our back,'' Crawford said. "I hit him with one (technical) and he kept going over there, and I look over there and he's still complaining. So I threw him out.''
Im gonna miss him.great gif of B-cup Bill huh
He made me want to watch cowboys football.
especially the press conferences. He was great
Duncan is convinced official Joey Crawford is out to get him, with a brawl possibly needed to settle things.
pe on
1. LilMissSPURfect., home of the SPURS, TX 78201 210-DIAL A CHAMP!
2.
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I forgot about that tech. Anyone recall what the reasoning behind that tech was in the Indiana game?San Antonio had won six straight and was on a 12-1 roll. The only loss came against Indiana - another game that Crawford worked and another game that he rang up a T on Duncan.
He probably smiled, therefore only ONE tech.
The more I think about this , the more it pisses me off because you know the NBA won't be doing anything about it.
I'm sure Tim will get a hefty fine or suspension, but I'm glad he called out that little bald .
The League needs to do something about this. Fine Duncan for questioning the authority of the refs and for cussing, blah blah, but either suspend or fire Crawford. Make sure he doesn't work the Spurs games EVER again because obviously he's biased.
They've fired a ref before for having a hard-on for a star player. If Joey really challenged Tim to a fight, he needs to be removed and put into couseling/therapy for anger management...AGAIN.
If Tim wasn't already motivated enough for the playoffs. Dallas better triple team him or just foul on purpose every possession because he's going to singlehandedly destroy those guys, unless the refs intervene.
Well done Joey Crawford, well done.
Wow... this is big. Duncan never says like that.
Edited to add, if I read lips accurately, as he was walking out, it looked like Duncan said, 'Hey... you... piece of ." Anyone else see that? (Piece of confirmed, obviously). Can anyone remember Tim ever being that rude to a ref before?
quoting from another:::::::::::::
"
From NBA Rule Book:
Section V?Conduct
a. An official may assess a technical foul, without prior warning, at any time. A technical
foul(s) may be assessed to any player on the court or anyone seated on the bench for conduct
which, in the opinion of an official, is detrimental to the game.
b. A maximum of two technicals for unsportsmanlike acts may be assessed any player,
coach or trainer. Any of these offenders may be ejected for committing only one unsportsmanlike
act, and they must be ejected for committing two unsportsmanlike acts.
d. A technical foul shall be assessed for unsportsmanlike tactics such as:
(1) Disrespectfully addressing an official
(2) Physically contacting an official
(3) Overt actions indicating resentment to a call
(4) Use of profanity
(5) A coach entering onto the court without permission of an official
(6) A deliberately-thrown elbow or any attempted physical act with no contact
involved
(7) Taunting
What do these rules have anything to do with Duncan's ejection?[
I guess its from old age. Is there no age limit for a ref? I mean WTF?
he challenged duncan to a fight?
Good god has Crawford gone senile?
I was thinking the same thing. A mad Tim Duncan isn't good for the rest of the league. Tim is a frickin beast when he's mad.
A fight between Duncan and Joey Crawford would make that race between Bavetta and Barkley look like a cliffhanger. Crawford would hit the deck even earlier than Bavetta's dive at the finish line.
If what Duncan said is true (and I have no reason to doubt that it is), Crawford will be fired.
If this went down as reported, the league will have to do something or it will have the player's union taking it to court for its hypocrisy.
I bet it is true as well, Duncan wouldn't make up like that. And Crawford better damn well be fired.
I think we have our next player vs. ref match for the 2008 All-Star Weekend.
Tim isn't someone who is going to make something like that up to the press. So, I don't know what's going to happen, but this isn't going to blow over simply.
Also, the fact that Crawford said, "I hit him with one (technical) and he kept going over there, and I look over there and he's still complaining. So I threw him out.'' when i'ts plain as day that Tim wasn't complaining doesn't help Crawford's case.
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