Spurs Make Mockery Of NBA Rules

NEW YORK, May 15 -- Robert Horry of the San Antonio Spurs has been suspended two games without pay and Amaré Stoudemire and Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns have each been suspended one game without pay for their actions in last night's game, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. source - NBA.com

Suspending Stoudemire and Diaw only rewards the Spurs and encourages teams like the Spurs to do the same - provoke the other team on purpose to try to get THEM suspended. For all we know Horry's was a planned play, and his bench had the heads up to not take the bait.

The Sun's coaches did a fine job of containing their players, and suspending them is unconscionable.

The NBA is rewarding the wrong team... now the Spurs get the main benefit... a huge advantage in game 5 - why? Because Horry committed at least 2 flagrant fouls in a row, and possibly on purpose, in order to use the league's stupidest of all rules against the other team.

NBA: get a clue - the Spurs are using your rules against you making you look ridiculous and they'll win the series in the end, because perhaps they are just wise enough to push the league's buttons. If Horry had done his job right they could've also taken Nash out of game 5 as well due to injury and then they'd sacrifice just one player scoring less than 5 points a game, for the top 3 players of the other team: a huge win for them!

Based upon this event, I would encourage all teams to send out your lower level players late in games, and try to injure and provoke the other team's stars, on purpose. It's just good strategy.

What if Stoudemire or any other player did need to check in? Should they remain on the bench and not check in with 2 minutes left in a 3 point game in order to avoid the appearance of doing something wrong?

NBA: Wake up!

[link]