dexter pitman and miami heat

[Ghost]

Wow, I just saw the Pittman foul. That's not good at all.

I think both teams are "fake tough", for lack of a better term. Granger was clearly going out of his way to try and get in Lebron's head and act like a tough guy. And Miami seems to be trying to foul hard in order to "send a message". Neither strikes me as particularly tough. But it goes without saying that's not an excuse for what Pittman (or Haslem, for that matter) did. Both guys should be suspended for the next game(s). Pittman sought the dude out with his elbow raised the entire time!

I would agree, but I think what the Pacers were doing is fine. They're taking their shots with some hard fouls, getting in players faces. It gets the crowd into it more, you're hoping to fire everyone on your side up, and maybe throw Miami off their game. Miami for the most part was handling it fine, the post-game comments dismissing Stephenson as a nobody, saying that the fighting stuff is stupid, etc, but for whatever reason they seem to be dead set on decapitating someone now.

 

[Knicks411]

I don't have a problem necessarily with what the Pacers are doing; like you said, fouls are fine if they're clean, talking smack is fine, getting in people's faces; no problem. I think Granger is really going overboard doing it and he's coming across as fake to me (since he doesn't do that kind of stuff normally) but I don't have anything against it. THe Haslem and Pittman fouls I have big problems with; Pittman more so. That should have no place in the game.

 

[MikeSU02]

I don't have a problem necessarily with what the Pacers are doing; like you said, fouls are fine if they're clean, talking smack is fine, getting in people's faces; no problem. I think Granger is really going overboard doing it and he's coming across as fake to me (since he doesn't do that kind of stuff normally) but I don't have anything against it. THe Haslem and Pittman fouls I have big problems with; Pittman more so. That should have no place in the game.

Pittman's was a joke. In all honesty, all he did was put a huge target on Wade and LeBron. If the Heat go up big in game six, they better pull those two early.

 

[alphaorange]

I would agree, but I think what the Pacers were doing is fine. They're taking their shots with some hard fouls, getting in players faces. It gets the crowd into it more, you're hoping to fire everyone on your side up, and maybe throw Miami off their game. Miami for the most part was handling it fine, the post-game comments dismissing Stephenson as a nobody, saying that the fighting stuff is stupid, etc, but for whatever reason they seem to be dead set on decapitating someone now.

I've seen at least two absolute cheap shots by Miami. No doubt type cheap shots. The contact from the Pacers has been physical but not cheap. Tyler's foul on Haslem was barely even a foul as he had mostly ball. He barely touched Haslem's face and it wasn't hard. The commentators to a man said it should not have been a flagrant. Haslem's cut the previous game was because he stuck his grill in Amundson's space. That was incidental contact when I was playing. Don't want to get hit with an elbow? Stay the hell out of that space. Pacer's have been physical but not dirty. Heat have been whiners and in a couple of instances, dirty as hell.

 

[Knicks411]

I've seen at least two absolute cheap shots by Miami. No doubt type cheap shots. The contact from the Pacers has been physical but not cheap. Tyler's foul on Haslem was barely even a foul as he had mostly ball. He barely touched Haslem's face and it wasn't hard. The commentators to a man said it should not have been a flagrant. Haslem's cut the previous game was because he stuck his grill in Amundson's space.

I didn't get to see the whole game; wasn't the foul Hansbrough committed on Wade? Or is there a different one? Hansbrough's foul on Wade was definitely a foul. He whacked him on the head. I have no problem with that being a flagrant; don't think it was cheap; I think he was going for the block but he nailed him in the head.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Lets be honest...the Pacers got caught watching the AND 1 mixtape tour the last two games. Hibbert said as much after the game tonight.

You have to think they come back and take Game 6. Just pounding the ball down low. Miami will gear up for a game 7.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Suspend Riley? Seriously?
Pittman, absolutely. Haslem, absolutely. I can't fathom, though, that a directive to retaliate for a bush-league gesture by a non-factor bench player came down from above. And, especially not after what's happening to the Saints and the bounty controversy.

What Howard did, pre-game, was the right thing to do. Make your point with the kid. What Haslem did was tit for tat, except it was an overreaction to a basketball play gone bad.

Basically, though, these basketball players are too sensitive about meaningless talk and gestures. It's getting to be baseball-like. The game is far too physical, and now they're freaking out over 'names' rather than the 'sticks and stones.'

 

[CusefanATL]

Suspend Riley? Seriously?
Pittman, absolutely. Haslem, absolutely. I can't fathom, though, that a directive to retaliate for a bush-league gesture by a non-factor bench player came down from above. And, especially not after what's happening to the Saints and the bounty controversy..'

doesn't bounty gate give credence to suspending riley and/or spolestra?

this wasnt a star who did it. it was an most obvious pre-meditated act in retaliation to the choke gesture. an inch 1 way or the other could have led to serious injury.

imo, this is way worse than ron artest or even bynum. IIRC, bynum made a cheap shot, but at least it was on the ball. Artest is just crazy and that was a reaction on his part.

Pittman, a guy who doesnt play, went in there to attack Stephenson and made it abundantly clear that he was focused on him.

Suspending Pittman is like a tree falling in the woods. if nobody notices, is he really suspended?

I am just guessing, but Pittman didnt just decide to do that on his own...

 

[realorange]

And David Stern is going to put one of his premier teams at risk of not making the playoffs? Just saying.

 

[alphaorange]

What Howard did, pre-game, was the right thing to do. Make your point with the kid. What Haslem did was tit for tat, except it was an overreaction to a basketball play gone bad.

Tit for tat? Let's see, a hard clean NBA playoff foul vs.a bsolute thuggery that had nothing to do with a basketball play. Rrrright.....

 

[djcon57]

REAL excited for Boston/Miami if it happens.

Can't wait for the ultimate in fake court toughness, Kevin Garnett, to make numerous mean faces and probably clobber Mike Miller or Superintendent Chalmers.

 

[Knicks411]

Yes, Garnett is the worst. I think Mike Miller and Chalmers may even be too good a player for KG to go after. I'm thinking Norris Cole.

 

[djcon57]

Yes, Garnett is the worst. I think Mike Miller and Chalmers may even be too good a player for KG to go after. I'm thinking Norris Cole.

I hope both teams just scowl, flop, and cheap shot at each other for 7 games, then Ol' Man Duncan, Frenchy, and Don Flamenco sweep the winner.

 

[Knicks411]

If Bosh doesn't make it back then I think whoever comes out of the east is in for a very short series

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

I can't see Boston or Miami even winning a game against the Spurs or Thunder. Bosh or no Bosh.

Boston/Mia is gonna be flopfest and meanface all throughout. Everyone celebrating every made shot like its their birthday, mugging for the camera.

 

[Knicks411]

I think if Miami has a healthy Bosh back they will be right there with either team.

 

[CorduroyG]

I think if Miami has a healthy Bosh back they will be right there with either team.

agree. with a healthy bosh i think they beat okc, and lose in 7 to spurs. celtics will lose to either, but they aint making the finals. i think okc is still 1 year away. their 8-1 record in the playoffs is misleading. lakers choked away 2 games to them down the stretch, had a 7 point lead with 2 minutes left in game 2 and a double digit lead in the 4th qtr in game 4. and they won 2 very close games against dallas games 1 and 2.

 

[Knicks411]

agree. with a healthy bosh i think they beat okc, and lose in 7 to spurs. celtics will lose to either, but they aint making the finals. i think okc is still 1 year away. their 8-1 record in the playoffs is misleading. lakers choked away 2 games to them down the stretch, had a 7 point lead with 2 minutes left in game 2 and a double digit lead in the 4th qtr in game 4. and they won 2 very close games against dallas games 1 and 2.

I am really excited for this WCF. The two teams look unstoppable right now; though you are right about the Lakers series; the last 3 games were real close. San Antonio is basically killing everyone. I think the Spurs have to be the solid favorite right now. OKC-Miami would be a pretty fascinating series, to me. Lebron vs Durant, Bosh vs Ibaka, Wade vs either Westbrook or Harden.

 

[Melancer46]

The punishment should be that the Heat now have to play him. Suspending Spoelstra just helps Miami.

Definitely agree that playing Pittman is more of a punishment than suspending him, but I honestly doubt anything will come of this. If there was any fairness in the NBA, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Dexter Pittman would all be suspended (Wade for what he did to Collison before).

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

MIA would have to hope for OKC. I think SA is too disciplined and they would not allow MIA to run... SA would win that series pretty easily IMO. OKC will go up and down with MIA, giving them a chance. I just think whoever Chalmers has to guard will ABUSE him...Lebron and Wade cant cover everyone.

 

[LennX6]

whitlock agrees with me on the wink!!

The three flagrant calls I saw were all called wrong. The first Hansbrough on Haslem...called as a flagrant 1, was just a hard foul IMO. The retaliatory a few seconds later by Haslem on Hansbrough was called a flagrant 1, that definitely was a 2. You are right , the Pittman foul shold have been a flagrant 8000. Thing is, it should never have gotten to that point. The second Hansbrough, Haslem dustup (which was the 3rd in 2 games) should have had ejections then and that could have nipped it in the bud. NBA refereeing is so, I can't believe they did not get in a bidding war for Jim Burr. Not because he's good, but he would fit right in.

 

[LennX6]

Really? Pittman would be a huge loss

It may be. Bosh , Haslem, AND Pittman all out. That's is a big doughnut hole. But...remember this is the NBA. Remember Magic in 1980 Game 6 vs Philly. Kareem out, Magic plays center score 42, LA gets the title. David Stern remembers. Bet he thinks LeBron would look sooooooo much better to network executives err fans, if only he had a story like that in his resume. Calling Dick Bavetta? Joey Crawford. Both Stern's NBA equivalents of Harvey Keitel's role in Pulp Fiction, or Mike in Breaking Bad.

 

[djcon57]

Pittman suspended 3 games.
Haslem suspended game 6.