Will Alston be Suspended for Game 3???

[spf211]

Probably the most obnoxious thing about this whole play is that Bennett Salvatore was looking the other way. If he saw this and immediately ejected Allston then the Magic would only have lost their starting PG in a blowout. Now they could potentially lose him for all of Game 3.

Not that Rafer has been a difference maker, but whatever your position you have to call this another case of horrible officiating.

[DieselCeltic]

NBA has to do something to improve the officiating. The league is totally corupted.

[Kefa461]

Look....Eddie didn't elbow (that I can find) Alston. I think the guy is making it up to save his ass. Now the argument that Eddie has to be reserved in his joy or hopping around after making a shot because it pisses another player off is to me kinda weak. He's running down the court, not in the mans face, firing up his home crowd.....I just don't see it.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Magic fans have been fairly reserved compared to the lunacy we got from Chicago. We should try not to incite them.

You are right, compared to some of the Chicago trolls, the Tragic fans have been OK so far...if we make it past them to face the Crabaliers, THEN the trolls will get awful...

[DieselCeltic]

If we get to play the Cavs, I know I'll be suspended for a long time. Their fans make my blood boil.

[Dave_From_NB]

Maybe it's because I'm a big hockey fan, but I find calls for suspensions for slaps with the ferocity of a 6 year girl ridiculous. It's this kind of ticky tack garbage that is ruining the NBA. Let the guys play with a bit of emotion, every time someone gets the least bit wound up there are technicals and suspensions flying around. Ridiculous IMO.

[UGA Hayes]

I don't think its suspension worthy. Plus it was funny-- avatar worthy.

[Parasite]

Maybe it's because I'm a big hockey fan, but I find calls for suspensions for slaps with the ferocity of a 6 year girl ridiculous. It's this kind of ticky tack garbage that is ruining the NBA. Let the guys play with a bit of emotion, every time someone gets the least bit wound up there are technicals and suspensions flying around. Ridiculous IMO.

This isn't hockey. Playing with emotion is fine, but the line is drawn at intentional physical violence. I don't care that it was "just a slap" and I doubt the league does either.

[Red2]

it's a completely different play than the Miller play or the Heinrich play. Here there was clear intent to hit eddie in the head. Granted it wasn't that hard a slap but nonetheless if the league is consistent then alston will be suspended. If they don't suspend him they've just given every player in the NBA free rein to slap other players in the head. Unfortunately for the Magic it would have been much better if the refs had seen it and kicked him out then since as it was they were going to lose that game. Now they run the risk of losing him for game 3 instead. I don't really like it when guys are suspended because it had a way for making the other team play harder and frankly I would rather face a team at full strength that not. ( let's bring back Jameer, KG and Powe and let's see what happens). Anyhow, back to my original point; the Miller paly was different because there was a play on the ball and that's waht the league ruled. Also there was no wind up and follow through. Alston clearly hit eddie in the house and there was not play on the ball. In the Heinrich situation the refs saw the play and made the call. It then becomes a question of whether the league wants to overrule the call on the floor ( flagrant one). They chose not to. Had the refs seen the slap last night and called a flagrant or ejected alston this would be over but since they didn't he will be punished and given the way the NBA has ruled in the past on these types of incidents I don't see that they have any option but to suspend him for one game. BTW for what it's worth I thought Ray ALlen got away with a push on Reddick where he shoved him to the floor. One last thing on the Heinrich play; I have yet to see anyone talk about the fact that Heinrich had Rondo wrapped up and was trying to ride him out of bounds with his butt the way Bird did to Michael Cooper. Heinrich was the instigator on that play not Rondo

[LenBiasBaller]

Personally I want Alston to play and not get suspended but the league has to suspend him. How could the NBA allow someone to not get suspended for slapping someone in the back of the head as they are turned the other way running down the court.

They will suspend him based on what "could" have happened alone.

Its also funny too because Rondo hates Skips ass and you could read Rondo's lips after the incident saying something to the effect "i told you about this bitch ass dude" ....lol...because during the regular season skip got Rondo so heated and Rondo balled his fists up and was ready to start swingin on Skip.

Dude is a loser man. Even them and 1 dudes can't stand him.

I do feel bad for Eddie bc he is the laughing stock of most fans right now for getting slapped like that. He def. runs his mouth and if he wasn't a celtic I would probably hate him too.

[floyd]

This isn't hockey. Playing with emotion is fine, but the line is drawn at intentional physical violence. I don't care that it was "just a slap" and I doubt the league does either.

So where is the line? Is a push suspension worthy? That could start a fight. It wasn't a violent play. Just a stupid one.

If he does get supsended and then we loose Perk over something similiar down the line I'll be pissed.

[Gant]

Rondo's plays in the Bull's series were separate, different, and have nothing to do with this.

This was pure dumbness. It had nothing to do with the game. The play was over.

I don't know if it will result in suspension or not, but I do know there was no basketball being played at that moment and it was a useless move. If Rafer does get suspended it's his own fault.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Rondo's plays in the Bull's series were separate, different, and have nothing to do with this.

This was pure dumbness. It had nothing to do with the game. The play was over.

I don't know if it will result in suspension or not, but I do know there was no basketball being played at that moment and it was a useless move. If Rafer does get suspended it's his own fault.

Yep

[TonyMontana]

Im not going to lie, that ish was funny.......... You got to admit it.
Eddie was walking away and Alston Slapped Eddie on the back of the head like a mom that slaps his kid on the back of the head for misbehaving in the Market.

Alston "BOY I TOLD YOU TO KNOCK IT OFF" POWWWW

[tlloyd34]

I think the dude should be suspended since Eddie didnt do anything.

Magic fan here.

I do agree that is was a STUPID thing for Alston to do. I think the league should suspend him. I think there have been several plays throughout the playoffs that warranted a suspension.

What I don't understand is how everyone is saying House didn't do anything. There are several angles on the play. On one of the angles it is clear that House threw an elbow. I have watched it several times.

That doesn't justify Alston's slap, but it is ridiculous to say that it was unprovoked!

[Red2]

we fans always think the guys on our teams are saints and the guys on the other team are thugs etc. Yet the moment they switch teams and are on your team you love them. The truth of the matter is that almost all of these guys talk trash and almost all of these guys have pushed, grabbed, thrown elbows etc. I love Ray but he elbowed SIdeshow Bob in the 'nads. KG has been known to get feisty and Rondo and Perk aren't afraid of a little extracurricular activity. Bottom line with Rafer is he is the one who went head hunting. Eddie puttting his elbow in Alston's stomach isn;t the same. That play goes on all night in every game. In thinking about this I'm hard pressed to think of a time that I saw Pierce go after someone; I'm sure he has but I don't remember it

[celticfan42487]

Hinrich blocks Rondo out. Continues to block him out [that's aggravating] to the line. Rondo looses his cool and yanks Hinrich's arm and tosses him [that's out of line].

Flagrant one.

House hits a 3 in Alston's face. House continues to yap and bumps Alston after it like it's a close game or something [that's aggravating]. Alston looses his cool and can't resist lightly slapping House on the back of the head [that's out of line].

Flagrant one.


In-game that's an auto ejection for the sake of maintain control out of the game. After the fact if under review it can be ruled a flagrant one for unsportsmanlike conduct and everyone will play like big boys next game without head hunting [with slaps?].

[campybatman]

The NBA has to set an example that future incidents won't occur. So, any decision that is brought down, it's to prevent this from happening again. I can't comment on the Lakers game, but that's huge if both Fisher and Kobe are lost for game three. In my opinion, Alston should be suspended if his reaction is deemed by Jackson to merit a suspension. Was it evoked by House or he was strictly acting on his own? Personally, I would suspend him. Slapping at another player and making contact whether light or hard is inexcusable. It wasn't a punch but a hit's a hit, and that could've incited a fight and further consequences to both players. You can't just slap another player. Then other players will see this and think: Hey, as long as it isn't a punch, I can "get away with it."

People are quick to bring up about what Rondo did against Hinrich and Miller and are trying to compare that with this. I say, deal with what's in front of you. Those incidences happened in the first round and no further punishment came of it toward Rondo. If Jackson didn't see it necessary to suspend Rondo, then it wasn't necessary. The Alston incident is a different incident. He wasn't going for a ball or anything. It was borderline malicious. It was clearly retaliatory to House's made shot.

Edit: Alright, I've watched a clip of the Kobe incident and I deem it inconclusive since the angle in the clip is from their backs. I would've to see it from a front view. I think he'll [Kobe] be suspended. Jackson might look before that and see if Artest instigated Kobe's reaction. I'm uncertain, I didn't see the game.

I've watched it... Fisher's action was definitely intentional. I would suspend him. No question.

I stand by my opinion on Alston. I've watched the clip a few times and didn't see this phantom elbow by House to Alston. It could be that the camera just didn't catch it. I don't know, I comment on what I saw. I didn't see an elbow by House thrown.



Wiretap

"The plays are under review," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Derek Fisher bowled over Luis Scola as the Houston forward was setting a pick, which led to a Flagrant Foul 2. A suspension for Game 3 is under consideration.

Kobe Bryant elbowed Ron Artest as the two were angling for position on a rebound. If a player elbows another player above the shoulders, it is an automatic suspension by the NBA.

Replays appeared to show Bryant's elbow striking Artest on his upper chest, just above the "R" on Artest's Rockets jersey.

In the Magic-Celtics game, Rafer Alston slapped Eddie House on the back of the head following a three-point shot.

[sully00]

I didn't see one angle were Eddie's elbow comes within two feet of Alston. Eddie is a pain in the ass and I would probably want to slap him in the head as well but the league cannot let that go. It was a weak ass move from Alston who is so bad defensively I almost don't want him suspended but he should have been ejected and he wasn't so he has to be suspended. If Eddie had punched him in his grill for doing it they would have ejected both players, no? Eddie not responding shouldn't get Alston off the hook, if so I think Scal should slap Howard in the back of the head every damn minute of the game and I would be wearing out a bald spot on the back of LeBron's head.