J.R. Smith got suspended for his first flagrant foul of the playoffs, a flagrant-2 against the Celtics for taking a shot to Jae Crowder‘s head. Smith picked up a second flagrant foul in Game 5 of the NBA Finals for trying to run through Draymond Green. This time it was just a flagrant-1, but that still gives him four flagrant points. Another flagrant-1 would trigger a one-game suspension. A flagrant-2 would trigger a two-game suspension.
(Video) NBA: Lance Stephenson Hit With Flagrant Foul After Smacking Norris Cole
It appears Lance Stephenson was doing his version of smack cam, NBA edition last night as the Indiana Pacers played the Miami Heat. He caught Lebron James with a minor smack but this one against Norris Cole was much more brutal.
NBA: Lebron Talks About Bringing The 80’s Back & Punching People After Flagrant Foul
What NBA fans wouldn’t give to see some physical style basketball that was alive and well in the 80’s and early 90’s. The game is so soft now, sometimes it feels more entertainment than sports, but to be real other things factor into that. Corporate America for one wouldn’t be to keen on spending billions of dollars on advertising with the NBA if the league was still a rough and tumble kind of place. However since the game has changed, when hard fouls do occur they are put under a microscope even more and talked about until you just want to throw up. After Lebron caught a solid forearm/elbow to the throat in game 2 against the Bobcats and it took the league to review it after the game to label it a flagrant foul, Bron was visibly upset with what he deems a lack of protection for him and his teammates when it comes to hard fouls. I don’t really personally agree with him as my view is the game is meant to be somewhat physical and hard fouls happen, but I do at least get his point. He had some interesting comments on the topic. Hit the jump.
NBA: Josh McRoberts Fined $20,000 For This Elbow To Lebron’s Throat
Intentional or not, Josh McRoberts wallet is $20,000 lighter today. That is the price he has to pay for the elbow/forearm he stuck in Lebron James throat as he drove to the basket during game 2 of the Heat/Bobcats series. McRoberts said it was not intentional. “We just kind of got caught up in the air there,” McRoberts said Wednesday night. “For me, real time, he was coming pretty fast down the lane. He’s a real strong guy and I was just trying to stop him from first getting the shot up. It looked worse than it was.” Lebron overreacted with his definition of the play. “I got elbowed in the throat … it’s not a very good feeling, especially how I was attacked in the lane and the contact that happened,” James said. “I was trying to catch my breath, and hopefully it wasn’t too bad. I had to finish the game. All I was thinking was how I was going to make the free throws, because it was a close game at that point.” Attacked?? C’mon Lebron really? It wasn’t too long ago that type of play was considered a normal tough foul, smh.
(Video) NBA: Paul Pierce Fined $15K For Clotheslining George Hill
The NBA announced Tuesday that Nets forward Paul Pierce has been fined $15,000 for “making excessive and unnecessary contact” when he clotheslined Pacers guard George Hill during Brooklyn’s 103-86 home loss to Indiana on Monday.
