Now that J. Rich & Zaza have been suspended 1 game

[barnettej 263]

I don't what it is about the Magic blue that players lose their cool. I mean this isn't the first time this has happen to us. Actually now that I'm thinking about it.

 

This will be the 3rd time during the playoffs, where we will have a Magic player suspended.

1. Dwights elbow on Sam

2. Alstons head slap on house

3. Richardson heat butt retaliation

 

Not to mention that Dwight got a tech also.... #2 in this round thus far.

 

I would attribute this to the Refs not tightening up calls on the Hawks. This allowed them to go further and further withthe pushing and slapping. Ultimately leading to what we saw last night.

 

Who really is really going to suffer is easy. The Magic.

 

You are taking away a 20pt scorer for the Magic and a 6 foul out player for the Hawks. It's true that the Hawks won't have as many bodies to throw. But they don't have to worry about picking up the scoring.

 

The Magic on the other hand have to worry about the scoring. JJ is a good replacement however, JJ is just getting back on the court. Where Richardson has been playing for some time. So the rhythm is there for rich, JJ is still getting into it.

 

I would assume this is going to make it a tense Sunday game.

 

By the way.... If ATL losses this series... Be on the look out for a Josh Smith departure.

[VCplusD12 91]

We get the advantage, but if only Hedo replaced J Rich on that scramble...

[Shock Phantom 263]

We get the advantage, but if only Hedo replaced J Rich on that scramble...

I kinda think Hedo will have a good Game 4. He's due.

[Butterfly 3]

Where did he hear this from?

I saw people saying this on the RealGM forums but I actually looked through all the replays and have not found him mouthing anything that would be close to the n word. All I saw him is jaw at JRich with "WHAT".

However I would like to see what your husband and other people are seeing / hearing.

 

 

I did not get to see it. My daughter starting crying, and I had to go to her. My husband told me he heard ZAZA say it clearly before the head butt. No wonder Richardson went off. My husband normally is cool and collected, but this bothered him. Really, if ZAZA said this than he is a racist and Stern is a racist to allow this to go unpunished.

[GhostAnime 50]

And you're an idiot to believe it simply because your husband said it.

[Svanxx 30]

 

 

I did not get to see it. My daughter starting crying, and I had to go to her. My husband told me he heard ZAZA say it clearly before the head butt. No wonder Richardson went off. My husband normally is cool and collected, but this bothered him. Really, if ZAZA said this than he is a racist and Stern is a racist to allow this to go unpunished.

 

Especially since he fined Kobe for a gay slur.

 

I think that Zaza should have gotten a multiple game suspension. JRich deserved a single game, but Zaza started the whole thing. Of course Stern never does anything that makes sense, especially in the playoffs, (like the Amare suspension.)

[Manu Ginobili 61]

Great contribution by JRich in the postseason.

 

Which is why we brought him here in the first place.

 

:svgsad:

[Dan Savage 119]

J-Rick talks suspension:

 

http://www.nba.com/magic/video/2011/04/23/042311jrichm4v-1658024/index.html

[ball junkie 277]

From ESPN:

 

Although Richardson is a starter for the Magic, the suspensions might have a bigger impact on the Hawks, who will be weakened at center in their attempt to slow Howard. Pachulia is Atlanta's top backup center and starter Jason Collins missed Saturday's practice to treat a bruised tail bone he sustained Friday while drawing a charge call against Howard.

 

"Both teams will have an adjustment to make," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Saturday. "We lose a starter and our second-leading scorer and they lose their best backup big guy. What's clear to everybody in the league is who starts it and who retaliates doesn't matter. So there's equal punishment."

 

Collins expects to play Sunday night after another day of extensive treatment on his lower back.

 

"You always have to prepare for the worst," Hawks coach Larry Drew said after Saturday's practice. "We still have bodies. The million-dollar question is will those bodies be as effective? That's the question we have to ask ourselves. That remains to be seen. I told [Collins] to report directly to the training room [saturday], and stay there all day if he has to."

 

Both teams have complained about rough play and dirty tactics during a series in which there have been a combined 148 personal fouls, three conduct-related technical fouls and the two ejections through three games.

 

Pachulia has established a reputation for his his physical play, but said he didn't intentionally headbutt Richardson but acknowledged he did get caught up in an emotional moment.

 

"Whatever happens, happens," Pachulia said Saturday. "You can't control yourself in a game while people are screaming at you, teammates, referees trying to get in the middle. So you end up doing things without thinking. I'm not trying to be dirty. I'm out there to play basketball and not fight. But if it comes to the situation, one thing, know this, I'm never going to back down from anybody."

 

Richardson had similar feelings toward his involvement in the Game 3 altercation.

 

"[Pachulia] walked up on me and headbutted me three times," Richardson said Saturday. "It's a reaction. What do you want me to do? Walk away? If it was done again, I'd do it again. I'm not sorry for what I did. I'm sorry I won't be there [sunday] for my teammates."

 

Collins has also suggested that Howard should be watched more closely by referees for the extra contact he makes at the end of plays.

 

"When the whistle blows, that's not the end for him," Collins said of Howard.

 

The NBA announced the suspensions in the middle of the Magic's practice session on Saturday. Van Gundy could either start J.J. Redick or Gilbert Arenas in Richardon's shooting guard spot. Richardson is averaging 8.7 points in the series -- nearly half his season average -- while shooting 30 percent from the field.

 

The Hawks are expected to adjust to Pachulia's absence by playing starting power forward Al Horford more minutes in the center rotation. The Hawks have used five different centers in the series, with Josh Powell, Etan Thomas and Hilton Armstrong also in the mix.

 

"I think both teams lose," Hawks guard Jamal Crawford said. "J-Rich is a key player for them, and Zaza is a key guy for us, as well. Nobody benefits from it at all. It's an unfortunate situation."

 

GO MAGIC !!!!!

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2011/news/story?id=6415406

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

J-Rick talks suspension:

 

http://www.nba.com/magic/video/2011/04/23/042311jrichm4v-1658024/index.html

 

Refs should have pulled Zaza away one he started headbutting and J-Rich doesn't get suspended, or Zaza should have been suspended for two games for that crap.

[ML6 520]

Refs should have pulled Zaza away one he started headbutting and J-Rich doesn't get suspended, or Zaza should have been suspended for two games for that crap.

 

They really should have spoken to him earlier, or hit him with a T when he threw a temper tantrum over one of his foul calls. I mean seriously, the guy went berserk and didn't get hit with a technical. There were plenty of opportunites for the refs to step in preemptively and they simply never did.

 

But hey, what do you expect when the officiating crew is Dick Bavetta, Leon Wood, and Monty Mccutchen? Probably the least assertive combination of refs I could imagine.

[ball junkie 277]

Another school of thought from Eddie Rivera of ESPN TrueHoop :

 

The real damage, though, for the Magic is that Richardson is suspended for Game 4. Even though Pachulia is also suspended, this is a net gain for the Hawks. Richardson is far more valuable to his team compared to Pachulia. There are those that say losing Richardson won’t be as big of a loss for Orlando, given that he was struggling to defend Joe Johnson the entire night and wasn’t making much of an impact offensively.

 

That’s not the point.

 

Richardson’s absence puts pressure on J.J. Redick and Quentin Richardson to defend Johnson and produce on offense. It also adds more responsibility to players like Nelson and Turkoglu to pick up the slack offensively.

 

Also, that may force head coach Stan Van Gundy to play Gilbert Arenas, something he didn’t do in Game 3.

 

Jason Richardson’s suspension, while it may not seem like a big deal to some, creates a negative parasitic effect for the Magic.

 

The timing couldn’t be worse, given that a possible loss in Game 4 would create a scenario in which Orlando would have to win three of the next four games to continue their season.

 

That’s asking a lot from the Magic.

 

http://www.magicbasketball.net/2011/04/23/recap-atlanta-hawks-88-orlando-magic-84/#more-8419