It was a dirty move.
Edit: Updated.
Jackson calls Nuggets guard `unsportsmanlike’
By Eddie Pells
Lakers coach Phil Jackson accused Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones of playing “unsportsmanlike basketball” by intentionally tripping Kobe Bryant during Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Monday night.
Jackson’s rip on Jones came after Los Angeles fell 120-101 to Denver to tie the series at 2. He became the second coach to call Jones dirty during the playoffs, joining Byron Scott of the Hornets, who said the same thing in the first round.
Jackson criticized Jones at the end of a rant about what he said was inconsistent officiating that resulted in Denver taking 49 free throws - 14 more than the Lakers.
“There’s another situation out there tonight that was unacceptable by Dahntay Jones,” Jackson said. “Just unacceptable defense, tripping guys and playing unsportsmanlike basketball.”
Asked if he felt Jones went out of his way to trip Bryant during a sequence late in the third quarter that, oddly enough, ended up with Jones getting fouled, Jackson replied: “Yes. It’s not the first time it’s happened in this series.”
Bryant kept things light when asked if Jones tried to trip him.
“I just fell on my face for no reason,” he said. “I’m a klutz.”
Was Jones playing him dirty?
“Good defense,” Bryant said.
Jones, a defensive specialist who starts for the Nuggets, has been charged with hounding Bryant at the start of the first and third quarters. In Game 2, he had five fouls by the middle of the third quarter.
He said he wasn’t bothered by Jackson calling him dirty.
“Just playing hard,” Jones said. “If he can’t respect it, I’m sorry. I’m trying to be aggressive and give it all I have out there. My teammates appreciate it.”
Especially Kenyon Martin, who sometimes gets accused of crossing the line.
“Hey Tay, you made it, dog,” Martin said when told about Jackson’s comments. “You’re a dirty player now. Welcome. It’s an elite club being considered one of those.”
In the first round of the playoffs, Scott was upset with the way Jones guarded Chris Paul.
“I can appreciate anybody that plays hard, but when you get to the point where you’re being a little dirty, that’s the thing that kind of aggravates me,” Scott said.
The Jones-Bryant tangle was only one of Jackson’s issues after Monday’s game.
He let the refs know he was mad by refusing to quickly insert a replacement for Luke Walton after Walton fouled out with 4:05 left. Refs hit the Lakers with a delay-of-game warning, then Jackson brought in Shannon Brown.
The coach was upset with a sequence during which Walton got a technical after arguing a no-call against Nene, who appeared to have elbowed Walton as he was cutting across the middle. Walton picked up four personal fouls over the next 4:25.
“The referee gave him a technical then subsequently gave him three consecutive fouls out on the floor,” Jackson said. “That kind of disparity we don’t like in ballgames. That’s not equal refereeing and those are the things that change the course of games.”
Nuggets coach George Karl complained about the whistle after Game 3, a 103-97 Lakers win. The Lakers shot 14 more free throws in that game.
The teams have combined for 160 free throws in the two games at the Pepsi Center - 80 apiece.
Last edited by duncan228; 05-26-2009 at 01:27 AM.
Yeah..ok Phil and Kobe...keep tell yourselves that.
two wrongs dont make a right!
That's not how Kobe feels about it.
He's going to get suspended for Game 5 by the league because of his prior flagrant foul where he pushed Kobe in the back as he was airborne.
Really a stupid play by a stupid player playing for a stupid team. It was a clear trip on his end and he will be punished for it accordingly like Fisher was for his foul.
Fisher saw scola coming and loaded up anyway, I had no idea that tripping someone is worse than tryin to crack someone's sternum
And Fisher got suspended.
so comparing the two is pointless, tripping happens all the time in the game
Then why are you comparing them? You're the one who brought up the whole Fisher thing..
Edit:mentioned wrong thing.
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, they get away with so much.
Jones was tired out there and that was sloppy defense, it was instinct since he was too tired/fatigued to shuffle his feet, he just tripped him, it was wrong. Completely wrong but it wasn't pre planned before the game that he was going to do that. He was exhausted and didnt shuffle his feet, got beat and his mind out of instinct told him to raise his foot and tripped him. it was out of fatigue. it was wrong but Laker fans make it seem like he should be suspended for life.
Just turn it on Kobe tripping someone and all would say, "that was a smart veteran move by a superstar"
Like mentioned by others, when the Lakers do dirty , its always, "THATS PART OF THE GAME" "HE IS A VETERAN"
Shut the up with that b.s.
Kobe pulls shorts and pushes off all the ing time.
It's like the media all over Obama, he can never do wrong but when a Democrat does something wrong, "oh its Bush's fault" ,
same with the TV networks and Kobe/Lakers. All they care about is top TV markets because it's their bread and butter.
the Lakers and their y neurotic fans and paid off broadcasters.
Im sure, when the Lakers lose a game, LAPD is busy answering a bunch of domestic violence reports.
Dohntay jones is a giant .. he's a dirty ass mofo and has been for sometime, its just taking some dirty moves on kobe in game 4 to people to see this? Plus I hate the smirk he always has..
thanks for the videos of the dirty plays the Lakers do...that just proves that Jones will get suspended.
Fisher got suspended for how many games again? If tripping someone warrants a suspension, then the Fisher pulled on Scola deserved a lot more than 1.
Lakers better be lobbying for a suspension. It's the only chance they have.
That would mean more playing time for JR and god forbid, Anthony Carter. Sheeet son!
If the Nuggets are going to play stupid and give this series away what do you expect the Lakers to do?
I WANT to laugh and look the other way because it's Kobe being tripped..
but based on principle, (unfortunately) players health/well being should be protected....that second trip was too obvious...dirty plays are dirty plays
Phil Jackson is a hypocrite though, Kobe and Fisher' do cheapshots all the time, and at players throats! and sternums!!
But he's sitting on the sidelines grimmacing at their "sportsman-like" conduct when the dirty plays are done to the other team's players.
Anyway,
I don't know who this Dayntay Jones is, but if he's a dirty player he should be reproached.
who needs a guy who might do the same to our teams and players who actually don't deserve the dirty play, unlike Kobe?
Fisher got suspended for what he did. You are acting like nothing came out of it.
At worst Jones gets a fine, which would be wrong, but not unexpected from the knee-jerks in the NBA front office. There's no way that is suspension worthy. You grab a guy who gets away from you and sometimes you don't get whistled for it. This isn't any different.
He's been doing that all season long. I'm sure he has "inadvertently" tripped CP3 at least once every game in the playoffs.![]()
its not that this was a suspension worthy foul, but the game before he almost hurt kobe also by pushing him while in the air, so two dirty plays might warrant a suspension, and why the was bynum call for a Flagrant?
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