bbcrud

You're right. If the call for the timeout came after Walton got his arms around the ball, then no timeout.

Just seemed like too much for the ref to do. Missing the mugging in front of him, not hearing the time-out being called, then finally calling for a jump when one of the two Lakers on Nash get their hands on the ball.

Anyway... that call is water under the bridge and fuel for the fire that's coming back to LA for GAME 6. What a series!!!

LA-tC

JUST WATCH ,and u can do NOTHING about it -- HE WILL BE SUSPENDED. HE was ejected directly after that play. it wasnt even a second technical, that was a completely mothafucckin ___ unsportsmanship act !
And yes KOBE is in another level im so sorry. Thats why nobody ever talk about your Raja, in fact, Raja is not even in BRUCE BOWEN LEVEL as a defender of KOBE

WE WILL FINISH YALL SUCKERS IN OUR L.A.

Also r they still playing baseball ???? hahahaaaa sorry i never watch that sport.
Only NFL and NBA

LA-tC

Raja's one is the most ridiculous in the whole series. And if that makes you feel BETTER , then keep thinking that way, LAKERS win cuz NBA IS FIXED

RAJA HAS BECOME THE BIGGEST FLOPPER IN THE WHOLE LEAUGE
He wins the OSCAR fro Manu Ginobili

ROFLMAOOOOO ALSO GG FOR YOUR LAME EXCUSE

Basedan10

I'm trying to find the pic on the net. Can't find it. Do you have a link. I wanna see it.

bbcrud

Unsportsmanship? Like Kobe's elbows?

bbcrud

^^^ Me too.

HoldFastHope

Well. The lakers got served. The Phoenix Suns outside game was pretty much perfect. Anyways, whats with all of the cry babies on the board about this elbow stuff with Kobe and Nash getting mugged. Kobe does throw a few elbows here and there but Raja is a drama queen. Kobe doesn't throw those elbows with much force and if he was looking to injure someone he'd go straight to the face with his elbow and lay em out. Raja's sole intent was to hurt kobe and put him the ground and that was evident. The play against Nash in game 4...it looked like a mugging didn't it? But you don't see much of a foul on the lakers end and if there was a slight body push from the lakers, the refs aren't gonna let a minor shove decide the game in the last 6 seconds because really it's about who has the cajones to win under such conditions. Nash might have called a timeout verbally but it was nuts in the arena, the ref may not have heard it, plus the lakers were on that ball like bears on honey. Like i said before, you can't call a damn time out when both teams have their hands on the ball therefore no one has possession. And bryoninscion, i think you have the whole primadonna stuff all mixed up. No one here has really been whining about the officiating toward the lakers when there have been many questionable no calls as opposed to how many people on here have been crying about the officiating towards the suns. The officials have not determined any of the games in this series and i'm sure none of you know how hard it is to officiate a game, let alone a playoff series. So how about quit complaining about the calls, sit back and watch the better team win(lakers or suns). End of discussion.

On another note, Lakers gotta step it up at home, if not, then I fear for the worst. Go Lakers!

bryoninscion

Come talk to me when you've become a well-rounded sport's man.

bbcrud

Can't find the picture but I found this on ESPNs site (Owned by ABC):

Here's the entire article: Bell's toll could be suspension

az_pinoy

this series definately have given everybody their money's worth...and this series have shown a lot of questionable calls that can turn any game around...what's funny is, Stern recently gave an interview to ESPN.com and admits that the refs miss "5% of calls"...but don't you think the 5% calls missed are the important ones?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playof...ory?id=2430769

and you're right Basedan, Barbosa ain't no Raja and in no way can get into the head of Kobe like Raja does...so how the Lakers approach that i think will be the key to both teams...the question will arise again: will Kobe be tempted to be the old Kobe or stay with the Zen Master's plan?

and as Nash put it...every critic (mostly the old school ballers) say the playoffs are supposed to be physical and the refs should let players be a bit physical...but to what extent?...we've clearly seen it in this series where someone (Raja) ends up getting pushed to the edge...the NBA definately needs to look into how games (especially key playoff games) are approached and called


JC

bbcrud

The elbow Kobe threw was toward Raja's head and it connected. No call.

Looking at the photos of Kobe breaking his fall with one hand while trying to hold the ball with the other, while Raja stands by (instead of taking Kobe to the floor) tells me it was to send a message and not to hurt. Raja had him dead-on and could have slammed Kobe on his back had he wanted too. He just stopped him (hard) then dropped him. If the NBA suspends Raja, so be it, but they should call a tight-a$$ game on Kobe and his elbows in #6 just to be fair.


Read my other post and the article on ESPN. Seems there was more to the Nash mugging than just appearances. That game was basically won by the Suns and it evidently took THREE mistakes by the officials to hand it over to the Lakers.

If Jackson and Kobe mean what they say about wanting Raja in the game for game 6 and the NBA suspends Raja I think, being men of ethics and having a sense of fair play, the Lakers should voluntarily sit Kobe for the game too. Okay, that's reaching!

Basedan10

So maybe Nash was fouled, maybe diaw did call a timeout, and maybe Waltons foot was out bounds. But when you are ref'ing a game like that its hard because everything is going so fast. It easy to criticize the Referee after the game when you get all these replays and stuff. But I but you 10 to 1 that you didn't know that Walton's foot was outbounds, or Diaw was calling a timeout. YOu were caught up in the moment. And So were the refs.
Unless the implement some review thing like football (GOd i hope they don't) there are going to be missed calls like that. Its always easy to criticize, after the game than during the game.

bbcrud

I agree with you. No one knew about Walton's foot until replays were seen. But... for the other two calls to be missed when the ref was looking right at the play with the players standing not running.

LOOKING RIGHT AT THE PLAY AND ALL HE SEES IS A JUMP BALL? Please.

It's his job NOT to get caught up in the moment. It's his job to LISTEN for timeouts being called and to WATCH for fouls being committed and to PAY ATTENTION to the sidelines when the play goes near them. He managed to fail on three counts even when announcers, further away from the play and closer to the crowd, heard the timeout call and saw the foul being committed. It should gripe every fan that the refs decided the game. Sure Kobe hit a great shot; but Nash should have been at the line or the Suns should have had the ball out. Either way, the Suns win.

The ref should NEVER get caught up in the play. This is the play-offs and they're supposed to elevate their game as well.

VDUBER-XB

LAKERS WILL WIN IN 6...KOBE is gonna drop 50 points on em

bbcrud

If Kobe scores more than 35 the Lakers may lose. It might mean he's trying to take over the game. If he does that then the rest of the team is less involved. If the rest of the team is less involved the Suns will force a seventh game back here in Phoenix.

Besides, Diaw, Marion and Nash are starting to click again.

Let Eddie House play him. He needs some minutes anyway and his three ball would add more pressure to the Lakers.

az_pinoy

that would be great if he drops 50, as Mark said, the Suns most likely will win if he does score that much cause the other Lakers won't play any role

Game 6 will be another physical game...look for the Suns to be more physical and as with the Lakers...i also think the refs will call a couple technicals in tomorrow's game

JC

bbcrud

If Kobe should be considered the MVP he'll keep his game in check and the Lakers will be in it.

If he doesn't:

Suns 122 Lakers 112
Suns 106 Lakers 93
Suns 107 Lakers 96

Games where Kobe did his thing and Nash played in the game this year.

I think Kobe's probably learned how to play team ball by now so I don't expect him to relapse into his old ways. I think he's got a lot more confidence and faith in his team mates.

But... if they come out slow and turn the ball over again.

Look for the Suns to take it to the hoop with Barbosa, House and the starters. Let's get some early fouls on Kobe's little helpers.

Also... will the LA media leave Kwame alone to play? Will the police interview him? That whole thing sucks. If he did it he'll have to ask Kobe for advice and a pay-off recommendations. If he didn't do it is he mature enough to shrug it off?

bbcrud

The Lakers, as of today, have more votes to win the series than the Suns.

They're up by 1

az_pinoy

well, word is in...Raja is out of Game 6...which means Leandro is gonna be on Kobe tomorrow...we'll see if Leandro learned anything in guarding Bryant from the last game against the Lakers in the regular season

now the question of how the Lakers will approach this is up again...the leash is off Kobe now that Raja's out...as a Phoenix fan i hope he switches back to the old Kobe and keep the other Laker role players out of the game...Phoenix will be playing at a hellish atmosphere tomorrow, but not as bad (i think) if Raja is actually playing tomorrow


JC

az_pinoy

one more thing too as i posted earlier, the refs are gonna have to call this game tightly (bad news for the Suns)...but i think it wouldn't have had resulted to this if they hadn't missed "5% of calls" in this series


JC