NBA

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

How do you know for sure that Artest didn't say anything during the game?

Kobe and Artest have been jawing off at each other in every game they've matched up against each other this season. Trust me, if Artest said something, the refs would've jumped at it with a whistle.

The difference is, Kobe gets a technical because he taunted after making the shot. Otherwise, you can yap all you want on the court.

Not to mention there's nothing wrong with having your arm on the shoulder of another player. From the looks of it, Artest was just trying to box out for the rebound but got cut off by Kobe's flailing arm.

This kind of garbage often goes ignored. I remember in a playoff game two years ago, TJ Ford fell down, and Vince Carter stepped on him. No call.

[Guest acekim]

That doesn't answer my question! O_O . What he did to Battier was wrong, but that's a different story from my question.

Well, there is more proof in Kobe talking trash than Artest. He even talked trash to Doug Collins. Artest might have talked trash, but there is no proof to point that he did. But Kobe's trash talking was blatant and obvious.

[1love]

It should have been a foul on kobe that cap showed his elbow was not near ron's throat. The Battier one should have been a flagrant and the knee hit with Yao is nothing. That was just a collision. Ron shouldn't have been ejected, I don't know what refs were thinking. Fisher man stupid play, suspension for that one.

Welcome to the playoffs what's done is done can't do anything about that, we wanted a physical series and boy is it physical.

There is a difference between being physical and playing dangerously dirty. Ron Artest was playing physical, on other hand Kobe's elbow could have killed Artest. It wasn't just an regular elbow too, Kobe put his weight into it. Really dangerous.

Artest confront Kobe the nice way and told him it was not cool. If Artest went beast mode, it would've been a riot again.

[Guest PB&Banana]

Kobe shouldn't have hit artest but it wouldn't have killed him keep watching the screencap that angle made it seem worse than it is it looked like he hit below his throat. Artest was already leaning back if he hit in his throat it would have looked a lot worse than that.

[Guest gotseoul?]

lakers, dirty?

great, i love it.

before everyone just jumps all over the lakers for being dirty and having no sportsmanship, why don't you look around the league, hell look at the rockets. artest and wafer are just as intense and would do just the same to gain an advantage. basketball is not a noncontact sport. get over it. stop whining about taunting, it's literally a part of this game. artest perfected the art if you haven't noticed.

watch every other playoff series, it's the same. people love to hate the lakers don't they?

Different camera angles, Kobe got him right in the throat. He put his weight into it too, seriously that could kill some one with all that adrenaline pumping in a playoff game.

congratulations for making the most exaggerated comment.

[xman150]

ron shouldn't have had his entire arm above shoulder level on kobe in the first place.

not that, that justifies what kobe did, it's just something to observe considering the circumstances.

make accusations or not, you'll never know whether that elbow was intentional unless

you're the one playing. as for fisher, i'm certain he'll be suspended game 3,

no excuses for what he did. and as for the 'trash talk' comments.

seriously, it's part of the game, bring down your opponents morale so you have mental control over them.

almost every player will trash talk from time to time, even michael jordan used trash talk as a form of torment.

and come playoff time, you shouldn't be surprised if things escalate, as people state,

playoffs is a whole different level from regular season games. things will get physical.

that's what you do though when are under the basket playing for the ball. sure both of them were trying to box out each other, but Kobe had the leverage being the guy in front, and to throw that elbow was cheap.

[Guest MiiCKYO0CHUNx3]

There is a difference between being physical and playing dangerously dirty. Ron Artest was playing physical, on other hand Kobe's elbow could have killed Artest. It wasn't just an regular elbow too, Kobe put his weight into it. Really dangerous.

Artest confront Kobe the nice way and told him it was not cool. If Artest went beast mode, it would've been a riot again.

Haha XD . "Beast mode" How is going up to someone, and getting in their face a nice way to do it and just told him "it wasn't cool?"

(We are both super biased)

Okay so, Kobe shouldn't have elbowed him but Artest shouldn't have had his elbow pushing against Kobe's neck o_O

[Guest SurpriseSex]

Uh....everybody talks trash during a basketball game. In fact, that should not have even been a technical foul on Kobe, I believe they called it as a makeup call for the elbow on Artest. And that was rough play under the basket, happens every game. Artest is just a very verbal and emotional player so he blew the missed call out of proportion. Artest is also one of the biggest trashtalkers in the game, if you follow the NBA at all, you should know that.

Fisher did what you were supposed to do when there is a pick behind you: move through it. However, he misjudged the distance, or maybe Scola just stopped short and set a pick at an unconventional position, thus resulting in over-exertion on Fisher's part since the pick wasn't where he expected it to be. That said, Fisher is 6'1" 190 pounds. Scola is 6'9" or 6'10" at least 240 pounds, does anyone honestly think that Derek Fisher can knock Luis Scola down from a standstill? Especially with Scola has 8 or 9 inches on him and at least 50 pounds heavier? And keep in mind that Scola is setting a pick, that means his feet are braced and ready for impact (that's what a screen is). I suspect a fair amount acting on Scola's part, especially with his history of flopping. Sure, the result is that Scola hit the deck, one could argue for a suspension, but there is legitimate reason to question the validity of the fall.

So give it a rest, bitter Rockets fans. You say the Lakers play dirty? Then why are they considered soft? I hardly believe that a "soft" team plays dirty. The physical teams play dirty, like the Celtics or the Jazz. Take Karl Malone, for example, he was arguably the most physical player in the league when he played, and general consensu were that he was also the dirtiest player. And then there's Kyle Korver, shies away from contact, barely plays any defense at all, no one thinks he plays dirty at all. So...again, think before you speak.

But Rafer Alston's little stunt was just blatant stupidity.

[Guest PB&Banana]

The only thing dirty about the two game tonight was fisher and rafer (I think that was the first time i saw a guy smack another guy in the head), both should be suspended no question about that

It's only the second game and people are riled up refs are gonna blow the whistle like crazy now.

It's all part of the game people let's all agree to disagree.

[xman150]

Fisher stepped into that "pick" and he measured that hit out when Scola was on the weak side of the ball coming across the lane.

[Guest SurpriseSex]

More on the Kobe play. If you've ever even played basketball, you know that fighting for rebounds is very physical. I've gotten many elbows to my chest and throat area as well, battling for position. It's part of the game. At most it's a foul, most of the time, it's a no call. Certainly nothing to warrant a suspension, you headhunters.

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

Haha XD . "Beast mode" How is going up to someone, and getting in their face a nice way to do it and just told him "it wasn't cool?"

(We are both super biased)

Okay so, Kobe shouldn't have elbowed him but Artest shouldn't have had his elbow pushing against Kobe's neck o_O

It's called trying to BOX OUT.

[Guest nightfire]

Haha XD . "Beast mode" How is going up to someone, and getting in their face a nice way to do it and just told him "it wasn't cool?"

(We are both super biased)

Okay so, Kobe shouldn't have elbowed him but Artest shouldn't have had his elbow pushing against Kobe's neck o_O

When did Artest push his elbow against Kobe's neck? Check the video again, he was only trying to box Kobe out. Or do you mean when his elbow brushed against Kobe's neck after he was elbowed.

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

Fisher did what you were supposed to do when there is a pick behind you: move through it. However, he misjudged the distance, or maybe Scola just stopped short and set a pick at an unconventional position, thus resulting in over-exertion on Fisher's part since the pick wasn't where he expected it to be. That said, Fisher is 6'1" 190 pounds. Scola is 6'9" or 6'10" at least 240 pounds, does anyone honestly think that Derek Fisher can knock Luis Scola down from a standstill? Especially with Scola has 8 or 9 inches on him and at least 50 pounds heavier? And keep in mind that Scola is setting a pick, that means his feet are braced and ready for impact (that's what a screen is). I suspect a fair amount acting on Scola's part, especially with his history of flopping. Sure, the result is that Scola hit the deck, one could argue for a suspension, but there is legitimate reason to question the validity of the fall.

Did you watch it carefully? Scola didn't even plant his feet for the screen. He came running in TRYING to get position and Fisher threw his entire body at him and lunged. At the speed Scola was running, yes it is possible for Fisher to knock Scola down.

[Guest vic_taebin]

Seriously, right after the game ended, Sagers asked Kobe what he thought of Fisher's flagrant and he said that he didn't see it. WTF?! Everyone in the whole arena saw it, even those sitting up in the 300 sections.

Anyways, bad call on Artest being ejected.

[Guest SurpriseSex]

When did Artest push his elbow against Kobe's neck? Check the video again, he was only trying to box Kobe out. Or do you mean when his elbow brushed against Kobe's neck after he was elbowed.

So Artest is a harmless angel, right? They were both physical. Kobe is the smaller player, so he's trying to gain better position by getting "above" Artest.

So, to quote our lovely mod: it's called BOXING OUT.

Elbows exist. Arms move during fights for position. Oops.

[Guest nba3d]

so many people in this topic.

I think Fisher be suspended 1 game, Von Wafer fined for not listening, and Kobe be fined too for the elbow.

[Guest nightfire]

So Artest is a harmless angel, right? They were both physical. Kobe is the smaller player, so he's trying to gain better position by getting "above" Artest.

So, to quote our lovely mod: it's called BOXING OUT.

Elbows exist. Arms move during fights for position. Oops.

No we all know Artest's no angel. I'm very sure that Battier is though , we're all jumping on Kobe for REPEATEDLY playing dirty, not only against Artest.

[Guest PB&Banana]

The Kobe and artest thing is done nothing to talk about the only thing that was unfair is ron's ejection.

When we lost in the finals we were called soft, throughout the season we were called soft, when lakers lost game one they were called soft, and they actually showed physical play they get called dirty (I don't condone fisher though)

[Guest SurpriseSex]

No we all know Artest's no angel. I'm very sure that Battier is though , we're all jumping on Kobe for REPEATEDLY playing dirty, not only against Artest.

Battier is a nice guy, but he plays pretty physical, too. Many people play dirty against Kobe, in fact, many people play their dirtiest against Kobe because he's Kobe Bryant. You don't see too much whining about it because Kobe still finds ways to score and excel.