Garnett whacking Howard's elbow

[LarBrd33]

You know honestly... I had a different opinion of it.

I don't know if Howard was digging his fingers into KG or not.  I don't think it mattered.  I think Howard had countless dirty plays throughout the course of the series.  He was elbowing people left and right.   He pulled Pierce to the ground, pushed Rondo, knocked out Big Baby... and those elbows were clearly dangerous.   From Howard's perspective, it is pure intimidation.  It tells opponents to be careful trying to defend him.  It makes opponents hesitate to battle for rebounds or body up on him.  It was working... Towards the end of game 5, our players were playing scared of Dwight.  Those elbows were in danger of getting in Boston's head.  All the hype leading up to game 6 was that the Celtics needed to send in a Scalabrine to "take out Howard".   

Within the first few minutes of game 6, that play happened and I like to think it was intentional.  KG is insane.  He's one of the most intimidating players in the league.  Instead of sending in Scal... KG finds some reason to flip out... and then literally flips out and overreacts.   They aren't going to toss KG for it 3 minutes into game 6... and KG had the "handcheck" excuse for his overreaction.  But what it actually did was tell Howard, "Look... play dirty and you may have to deal with a mentally deranged psychopath who will tear your skin off".   I think KG met mind games with mind games.  Message sent.   From that point on, Dwight wasn't going to intimidate ANYONE.   Game/Series over.

ANd yes... it was a handcheck.  And Boston rightfully had a reason to be frustrated with the lack of calls on Dwight leading up to game 6.  The NBA purposely fixed games 4 and 5 in order to extend the series and cash in on additional TV time.  KG whacking Howard solved 2 things.  #1 - Show Dwight that there were potential repercussions for his brand of intimidation and #2 - Overreact to a ref non-call, draw attention to a blatant missed call on Dwight, and make it clear that Boston wasn't going to sit idly by while another game was stolen from them by NBA shenanigans.   I can't read lips, but I like to think one of the things KG screamed to the ref was, "Call this game straight... or I'm going to break this kid's elbow... your choice".   The fact that no technical was called on KG was telling.   



KG is literally about to eat the ref in this picture... and the ref lets it slide.   Admission of guilt.  They know they fixed those games.  In Game 5, they tossed our best defense against Howard with a later recinded technical.  They were letting Howard get away with murder up until that point.   KG wasn't having it.

In the pic... KG to the ref:  "Not this game, ref.  Not this game.  I will destroy Superman's elbows and then literally eat you and your entire family if you don't call this game straight." 

[misha]

KG is literally about to eat the ref in this picture...

[Dybdal]

Do you know what? im sitting here trying to write something in defense of Garnett but there really isnt any defense of what he did that night.

It was utterly stupid no matter how you look at it.

But i actualy wanted to touch opon one thing, i actualy think the Boston Celtics just raised Howard from being a child to being a man in our last series. We now know that howard has an actual nasty side to him, a sleeping perk in his stomach waiting to come out and i really do hope we see it more.. stop whining about the refs not giving you star calls, stop whining about your lack of touchs and go out on that floor and bring back some 80's brand of basketball and knock some fools out in the process (just not the Celtics) we have enough finess bigmen in this league, i really do hope that Howard comes back as Perk v2.1 next year.. it would be FUN to see.

[Roy Hobbs]

Do you know what? im sitting here trying to write something in defense of Garnett but there really isnt any defense of what he did that night.

It was utterly stupid no matter how you look at it.

Agreed.  KG picked up his second foul four minutes into the game, should have been assessed a technical (or even a flagrant, and a flagrant 2 would have been justified, meaning an ejection), and put himself on the refs radar screen as a dirty player going into the Finals (after the elbow in Round 1 and the karate chop against Orlando).

Sure, nothing (seemingly) has come of it in hindsight, but it was a ridiculously stupid play.  If we'd lost that game by a close margin, KG would be a clear goat.  Since we won, everybody talks about how cool it is, basically throwing punches at an opponent right in front of an official.

If KG plays that out-of-control against LA, we're going to lose.  That wasn't a calculated, savvy veteran move.  It was a guy who temporarily let his emotions get the better of him, and lost his mind (see, e.g., the picture above, with the bugged out eyes, if the incident itself wasn't enough to prove that.)

[moiso]

As I pointed out on another thread, if you watch very closely from the side-view camera angle, the first time Howard had his hand on KG, he was forcefully digging his fingernails into KG's side ... that's what KG is saying to the ref after, and why he reacted the way he did. I mean, come on ... KG has been hand-checked literally thousands of times, and he wouldn't have reacted that way unless there had been something unusual about it. Howard was using a childish 4th-grade schoolyard tactic, and KG had had enough ... I would've done the same thing ... or worse.

FINALLY.....Someone with a BRAIN....Geeze---I saw it as it was happening...Howard was totally DIGGING into KG's side---it was NOT a hand check---it was a DIRTY ploy by Howard to get a reaction/Tech on KG----What is wrong with everyone who CANNOT see this?...But, then again---I also saw Tyson's FIRST bite on Holyfield's ear--when nobody else in the room did---morons!!

I must be one of the people without a brain, because I just watched the video several times and I can't see fingernails being dug in.  He's not even touching KG's bare skin, either.

[bobdelt]

Garnett screwed up though. Instead of doing a karate chop, he should have had his arm come up from underneath Howard's, then he never would have been called for a foul, and Howard may have been the one if there was any call at all.

KG is allowed to move his arms up, so if he went underneath the handcheck, foul on Howard.

Same with slapping the ball, never slap down, slap up.

[dmopower]

A hand check is for feeling players while looking around, a HOLD is where players keep opposing players from moving freely.
I can tell by the responses here who is to lazy to play defense and who isnt. Why would you need to hand check someone who doesent even have the ball and you are looking strait at him, you don,t but you can hold him and keep him from setting picks or spreading the floor.
Hold are for lazy people with no class.
I'm not endorsing the way KG did it, but something had to be done and KG was the man to do it.
We don't advance if he does not do this, so anyone who doesent like the way KG did it just remember if KG played the way you liked we would be waiting for the LA Magic series.
Playoffs are war obviously most of us on this board do not have the stomach for war, fortunatly we have people who do have the stomach in the trenches so the softies can enjoy banner 18..

[Bynum4MVP]

KG losing his cool like this hurts the Celtics.  Last thing the Celtics need is KG to get suspended along with Perkins (who is 1 wrong stare at a ref from getting suspended a game).

[looseball]

I think in situations like that the refs should give the players warnings.  Nothing formal, just a quick "knock it off, guys, or I'm going to start calling it".  And then if it persists, they make a call.  That way everyone knows the boundaries (for that particular game, anyway).

[LB3533]

We need to continue our defensive trend for the Finals.

If we sustain our defensive poise, we will win.


http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/john_schuhmann/06/02/celtics.defense/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[bruinsandceltics]

KG losing his cool like this hurts the Celtics.  Last thing the Celtics need is KG to get suspended along with Perkins (who is 1 wrong stare at a ref from getting suspended a game).

No it doesn't. Because it doesn't happen often. If KG loses his cool the team knows something is wrong. In this case, it was the fact that they were letting Howard push the Celtics around. Well that stopped after KG did this and the Celtics closed out the series.

[Rondo_is_better]

Do you know what? im sitting here trying to write something in defense of Garnett but there really isnt any defense of what he did that night.

It was utterly stupid no matter how you look at it.

Agreed.  KG picked up his second foul four minutes into the game, should have been assessed a technical (or even a flagrant, and a flagrant 2 would have been justified, meaning an ejection), and put himself on the refs radar screen as a dirty player going into the Finals (after the elbow in Round 1 and the karate chop against Orlando).

Sure, nothing (seemingly) has come of it in hindsight, but it was a ridiculously stupid play.  If we'd lost that game by a close margin, KG would be a clear goat.  Since we won, everybody talks about how cool it is, basically throwing punches at an opponent right in front of an official.

If KG plays that out-of-control against LA, we're going to lose.  That wasn't a calculated, savvy veteran move.  It was a guy who temporarily let his emotions get the better of him, and lost his mind (see, e.g., the picture above, with the bugged out eyes, if the incident itself wasn't enough to prove that.)

Interesting how you guys are making him the goat even though we won.

[BigBaby]

KG is a dirty player. Can't believe there's this many people excusing his actions. One thing to be a fan, but it's another to be completely delusional.

[ManchesterCelticsFan]

Howard clearly was grabbing too tight on KG's ribs. What's the point of playing 'nice' when Howard's Elbows have been a lethal weapon the prior two games? That was KG's way of saying "enough is enough!"

Who cares if KG is dirty? You have to fight fire with fire.

[Rondo_is_better]

KG is a dirty player. Can't believe there's this many people excusing his actions. One thing to be a fan, but it's another to be completely delusional.

One thing to be rational, another to be a insulting. To straight up insult a beloved Celtics player. To mock a wide swathe of fans. You should be ashamed.