Thu May 04, 2006 8:36 am
Bell suspended one game for takedown of BryantAssociated Press
Bell
PHOENIX -- The NBA suspended Phoenix guard Raja Bell for one game on Wednesday for throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
That means the Suns will be without Bell, the principal defender against Bryant, for Game 6 Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Phoenix beat the Lakers 114-97 in Game 5 but Los Angeles still leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Suns with a victory. In a brief news release, the NBA said Bell was suspended for "excessive and unnecessary contact."
"I have no respect for him. I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual."
Raja Bell, about Kobe Bryant
The suspension had yet to be announced when the Suns practiced earlier Wednesday before leaving for Los Angeles. After the workout, Bell repeated that throwing Bryant down was wrong but explained what led to the foul and made clear his dislike for the Lakers' star.
"I have no respect for him," Bell said. "I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual."
Bell said he had been repeatedly hit in the face by Bryant during the game.
"I got a bruised cheek here and I can barely open my jaw on this side," he said, indicating the left side of his face, "and that didn't come from nowhere, and I felt like I'd had enough of that."
Bell said it went from a game to a personal insult.
"When I get hit in the face multiple times, you've stepped across the line with me," he said. "It's not basketball anymore. It was basketball for four games, then when he hit me in the face, that was the last straw last night. It still doesn't excuse me, but that's just the way I felt about it."
At the other end of the court just before Bell threw Bryant down, the Suns guard said he complained to referee Greg Willard about getting hit in the face, and Lakers coach Phil Jackson hollered out that Bell "deserved it," adding a profanity to emphasize the point.
That's why Bell pointed to the Lakers' bench yelling "That's your foul!" after he threw Bryant down.
Bell and Bryant received a double-technicals in the second quarter. A few minutes after Bell was tossed, Bryant was thrown out of the game for his second technical for complaining about James Jones' hard foul on Kwame Brown.
The latest incident is part of a season-long series of expressions of mutual contempt between Bell and Bryant.
After Tuesday night's game, Bryant said he hoped Bell wouldn't be suspended but added that players can't afford to lose their temper in games.
"I'm not trying to go out there and elbow somebody, that's not the way I play," Bryant said. "If you get elbowed, you still have to keep your cool. I get elbowed all the time."
Bell called Bryant's comments "hypocritical."
Bell's teammate Steve Nash said the Lakers have gotten the best of the officiating in the series.
"We're playing a very heated battle and people on the outside are constantly telling guys that we've got to be more physical," Nash said. "It's tough, and he's faced a lot this series. He's done a great job on Kobe, and Kobe gets away with whatever he wants. That's kind of frustrating."
Thu May 04, 2006 8:59 am
"When I get hit in the face multiple times, you've stepped across the line with me," he said. "It's not basketball anymore. It was basketball for four games, then when he hit me in the face, that was the last straw last night. It still doesn't excuse me, but that's just the way I felt about it."
Thu May 04, 2006 9:02 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:04 am
Matthew wrote:Hard to see how his actions warrent the same punishment as Artests.. But at least the NBA didn't ignore it like they did with Reggie Evans.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:06 am
"We're playing a very heated battle and people on the outside are constantly telling guys that we've got to be more physical," Nash said. "It's tough, and he's faced a lot this series. He's done a great job on Kobe, and Kobe gets away with whatever he wants. That's kind of frustrating."
Thu May 04, 2006 9:06 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:10 am
Matthew wrote:And the funny thing is most of these casual douche fans is they say "well Raja gets under kobes skin" hmm.. judging by his actions I'd say that Kobe has gotten under the suns skin. They are at wits end trying to contain him.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:11 am
The Black Death wrote: Posey's I don't think was worse than Bell's.[/b]
Thu May 04, 2006 9:13 am
The Black Death wrote:Matthew wrote:Hard to see how his actions warrent the same punishment as Artests.. But at least the NBA didn't ignore it like they did with Reggie Evans.
Well James Posey and Udonis Haslem both shared the same punishment. Posey's I don't think was worse than Bell's.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:21 am
Raja Bell says hes been hit in the face, when Kobe has been hit in almost every part of his body the entire season! not to mention he was hit in the head during Game1, which should have been won by LA.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:21 am
Kobe and Phil, in fact, stunned observers here by making a co-plea to commissioner Stern to spare Bell from suspension.
"We want him out there," Jackson said. "We want their full team out there to play. It's the only way to do it. You have to earn what you win."
It came across as a noble stance, especially given Jackson's well-chronicled status as a pioneer in the art of calculated quotes at the post-game dais to work the refs for the next game. If you're looking for the ulterior side of it, maybe Jackson wants to make sure the home crowd has a target. Maybe he just wants to make sure Kobe's at his edgiest. Bryant, after all, also says he's rooting against a suspension, insisting that Tuesday's escalation in his season-long tiff with Bell "actually excites me."
Thu May 04, 2006 9:23 am
Just do to him what he does to you.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:23 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:24 am
Matthew wrote:Nobody is complaining about Raja's cheap shot. They're just pointint out that it was cheap, surely you cant deny that?
Thu May 04, 2006 9:27 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:33 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:34 am
Matthew wrote:Nobody is complaining about Raja's cheap shot. They're just pointint out that it was cheap, surely you cant deny that?
Me wrote:Go ahead and complain about Raja's play, it was dirty
...
he did a stupid thing
Thu May 04, 2006 9:37 am
PHX4LIFE wrote:they just want LA into the next round because Kobe's one of the biggest/most marketable icons.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:42 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:42 am
Colin wrote:"I see no difference between that and Kobe saying he got bigger fish to fry."
So why is Raja a bitch for saying something so similar to what Kobe said?
Thu May 04, 2006 9:45 am
PHX4LIFE wrote:because of kobe's scoring. everybody knows kobe bryant. obviously it warrants a suspension, but there have been other calls, and in other series, that the NBA and these refs are ignoring.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:46 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:47 am
Dro wrote:PHX4LIFE wrote:because of kobe's scoring. everybody knows kobe bryant. obviously it warrants a suspension, but there have been other calls, and in other series, that the NBA and these refs are ignoring.
I think in my few weeks of posting I've surpassed your post count in terms of quality posts. Seriously, you're an embarrassment.
Two things you can do:
1. Pick up Mavis Beacon
2. Ask your teacher for a reading list
3. Take a trip to the library
Order doesn't matter for the most part...but you might want to do 2 before 3.
Thu May 04, 2006 9:47 am
Thu May 04, 2006 9:48 am
PHX4LIFE wrote:because of kobe's scoring. everybody knows kobe bryant. obviously it warrants a suspension, but there have been other calls, and in other series, that the NBA and these refs are ignoring.