Rip should be suspended

[steve]

He threw a punch.  The only reason he wasn't ejected tonight is because of KG's nonchalant reaction.  Can the league review this?

[wdleehi]

Definitely should be reviewed. 


I don't know about suspensions though.  I need to see it again.

[Roy Hobbs]

A punch?  I thought he got his elbow up.  I'll have to re-watch it, too, I guess.

[Celtic]

I think they can, I remember them reviewing a play where Kobe hit Ginobili in the face, to try and determine intent. I doubt Rip will be suspended though, it's the playoffs, he didn't connect, and after all the flack the league deservedly got after the Spurs/Suns fiasco last year, I think they are a little less willing to step in and ruin a series.

[Donoghus]

Saw one replay on the Jumbotron, didn't see anything too over the top.  Home now and watching ESPN.  Non-issue so far on the postgame analysis.  I don't much coming of this.

[mikeford]

It was absolutely a deliberate attempt to elbow Garnett in the face.

[Steve Weinman]

He threw a punch.  The only reason he wasn't ejected tonight is because of KG's nonchalant reaction.  Can the league review this?

A punch?  I thought he got his elbow up.  I'll have to re-watch it, too, I guess.

I'm with RH's description.  He started to run into the screen, so he raised his elbow and made sure he got a piece of KG as well.  The lack of ejection had a lot more to do with the fact that no matter how bad it looked to us on the replays (and, though I happen to be a big booster of his, I thought Hamilton got his elbow up deliberately), it's very difficult to determine that sort of intent on a play where a guy is trying to get through a screen -- which naturally lends to a lot of inadvertent and unintended contact.

I would have liked to see a flagrant called there but wasn't expecting as much.  Can't see any way the league suspends Rip for a playoff game over this.

I'm with the sentiment though, steve -- the play wasn't clean.

-sw

[Donoghus]

I need to see a replay of this again....ESPN isn't showing it. 

[Bahku]

I agree with SW ... it should definitely have been a flagrant, but I think it was far short of "ejection-worthy". It was intentional, but was more of an elbow upward than a punch ... at least that's how it looked from the camera angle we had.

[Bleedgreen]

It was 100% intentional. Rip is a dirty player like that. Will he get ANY punishment? No. Does he deserve some? Absolutely. He's dirty in teh Reggie Miller mold. Does stuff like this which gets opponents ejected/suspended, but always shrugs his shoulders as if to say "What did I do wrong?" It drives me nuts to watch. One of these days, he is going to get his clocked clean when he pulls something like that on a guy like a short-tempered Perk (god I hope not) who will regret a retaliation.

[freshinthehouse]

Should it have been a technical?  Absolutely.

Should he be suspended?  No way.  Throwing an elbow is what the ECF are all about.  Let 'em play.

[incoherent]

Elbow to the head is different.

I watched this play numerous times when it happened and it didn't seem like a "basketball move" and the replay clearly shows that it was an intentional attack.

Suspension? No. Fine? Yes.

[FierceLikePaulPierce]

Is this YouTube-worthy? I didn't see it, don't have TiVo, etc., but if someone could post it/find a link it'd be appreciated.

[joebianca]

It was 100% intentional. Rip is a dirty player like that. Will he get ANY punishment? No. Does he deserve some? Absolutely. He's dirty in teh Reggie Miller mold. Does stuff like this which gets opponents ejected/suspended, but always shrugs his shoulders as if to say "What did I do wrong?" It drives me nuts to watch. One of these days, he is going to get his clocked clean when he pulls something like that on a guy like a short-tempered Perk (god I hope not) who will regret a retaliation.

Rip's not a dirty player. Just ask Mike Breen. Anyone who does anything dirty who isn't Dennis Rodman is "not that kind of player", as if that means anything.

It was definitely intentional. He wasn't trying to fight through the screen. He hit the screen, stopped, then threw an elbow at KG's face. I don't think he should be suspended, but I think the referees should exercise some restraint if Mr. Hamilton is to get a hard foul in the next game. Though I think the Celts are too classy to retaliate.

[angryguy77]

Bottom line is he threw an elbow at kg's face on purpose with the intent of causing damage. I could give a [dang] if its the ECF. He should be suspended. Would we be so forgiving if he connected and KG had to wear a mask the rest of the playoffs? The answer is no. This is the NBA not NFL Blitz. This sort of thing needs to get checked before it gets out of hand. If it was KG I would be saying the same thing.