Clippers in the lottery?

[jdz101]

Blake griffin got absolutely polaxed by Jason smith in the 4th quarter aswell....like a football hit

I haven't seen a clip, but I have read that Jason Smith got a standing ovation from New Orleans fans after being ejected for a flagrant 2.  Can anyone confirm?

Yeah he sort of paraded around after doing it and the fans did love it. They were roaring when he got tossed. Weird moment.

[jdz101]

For those who haven't seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCgbek1qKFc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[KevinConnor]

For those who haven't seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCgbek1qKFc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Well he can be really proud about himself, what a jerk. I hope he gets suspended for a game or 5!

[mctyson]

the shoulder drop was a little over the line, but I have no problem with a hard found on Griffin in that situation - he does enough posterizing of people to know that its coming

simply run into him chest first, no shoulder, and I am fine with it

[LooseCannon]

Eh, he could have led with a little more elbow.

[rickyfan3.0...]

I love it. I am sick of Blake Griffin too! Always making faces, posing... He will get a few of those over his career and will probably never retaliate.

[RyNye]

I've always felt like Hollinger's system overweights the "last 10" numbers.

I despise Hollinger's system. It makes absolutely no sense, sometimes.

I remember about a week after the all-star break, when the Celtics were something like 8-2 in their last 10, and the Knicks were 3-7 or something like that, Hollinger still had the Knicks ranked higher. 

[jdz101]

Full Video with Crowd/Smith reaction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQmV7ETxj2I

[GreenFaith1819]

I'm almost starting to feel sorry for Blake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ8sQ5K1rZ4&feature=g-all-lik&context=G22dfbb1FAAAAAAAADAA

But SWEET block by our future Center (Crosses Fingers).

Here's that hard foul from Perk on Griff just a few days ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc5ct27KJB8

Retaliation, perhaps?

[LooseCannon]

Having watched that video now, I can say I would be sorely disappointed if Celtics fans didn't give a similar reaction to a player walking off the court if someone did a similar play against, for example, Dwayne Wade in a playoff game in Boston.

[TripleOT]

Jason Smith's hard foul on Griffin was something NBA players did in the 1970s.  Now that players make a median salary that's 100+ times bigger than  the average fan's salary, the league can't condone that kind of play, especially to high profile high fliers like Griffin. 

I expect Smith to get a three game suspension.  It wasn't a basketball foul, and the league wants the high jumping highlight guys going to the hoop with reckless abandon without worrying about a career ending injury by a cross body block.

Smith earlier had a play where he two hand shoved Griffin into Jordan, knocking both Clippers to the ground.  Smith obviously had an ax to grind with BG.

I'm all for physical play, and hate the fraternization between opponents in the millionaires' club modern NBA, but that hit by Smith was bush league.   

[LooseCannon]

He should have waited until Griffin was in the air.

[KGs Knee]

For those who haven't seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCgbek1qKFc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Well he can be really proud about himself, what a jerk. I hope he gets suspended for a game or 5!

I liked it.  If it makes Griffin think twice next time he tries to posterize someone, it was effective.

A player like Griffin better expect these type of fouls if he is going to continue always trying to put someone on a poster, and preening about the court afterwards.

[Fafnir]

Well he can be really proud about himself, what a jerk. I hope he gets suspended for a game or 5!

I liked it.  If it makes Griffin think twice next time he tries to posterize someone, it was effective.

A player like Griffin better expect these type of fouls if he is going to continue always trying to put someone on a poster, and preening about the court afterwards.

Just no, its a dirty play that is dangerous and could have seriously hurt Griffin. No play on the ball at all, just a move out of football, Smith looked like a Safety trying to knock a WR out of bounds.

Griffin goes in to dunk the ball, make a hard play on the ball instead of a tackle.

[LooseCannon]

Griffin goes in to dunk the ball, make a hard play on the ball instead of a tackle.

Nah, tackle him, but make a token effort towards the ball so you have plausible deniability.