Bell officially suspended

[The X]

looks like he got a forearm or hand to his face....whilst I haven't seen the play, it looks like an offensive foul as a result of the push-off by Kobe....

HonorGlow brings up a good point, but that's the business of the game I guess....

[J@3]

If you look close enough there's a gap between Kobe's forearm and Raja's face. I would photoshop it to make it clearer but it's too much effort.

[The X]

regardless, it's a hand or forearm, not an elbow like many have stated....

looking at the slight adjustment in his facial expression, I would put my money on the fact that he has taken a shot to the face....it's only relatively slight & it's definitely not an elbow....maybe Raja Bell thought it was an attempted elbow....to me it just looks like a superstar playing doing his usual push-off to get off a defender that holds on to them....that would be my guess just based on that split second of footage

[J@3]

Dan Wetzel wrote an interesting article about things:

Played out
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
May 4, 2006

Dan Wetzel
Yahoo! Sports Exclusive
Phil Jackson has nine championship rings. Kobe Bryant has three. Raja Bell has none, although he does have a one-game suspension to serve.

In a beautifully calculated bit of series-long gamesmanship, the Los Angeles Lakers' championship-experienced coach and star have taken Bell, the Phoenix Suns' best defender (not an oxymoron), out of Thursday's critical Game 6 in L.A. It was all so predictable you can hardly believe it worked.

Bell had to be on the Lakers' radar before this series even began. He is a player of great defensive talent (enough to actually slow Bryant) but also of great emotion (enough to react to five games of poking and prodding).

So the Lakers poked. And then prodded. Bryant got some elbows up; Jackson got Bell's ire up with biting comments from the bench.

In Tuesday's Game 5, Bell snapped, idiotically throwing Bryant to the floor in the fourth quarter of an easy Suns victory. He was ejected and then predictably suspended for one game, leaving Phoenix with no obvious answer for the most dangerous scorer in the NBA.

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It was a matter of taking the Lakers' bait, hook, line and (team) sinker.

"I have no respect for him," Bell told reporters Wednesday of Bryant, who has played chippy all series. "I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual."

Like congeniality matters.

Then there was Bell, immediately after mauling Bryant, turning toward Jackson and, according to the Associated Press, screaming "That's your foul." Bell explained that he was still upset that, after being fouled earlier, Jackson had told him he "(expletive) deserved it."

"I thought that was kind of bush league from such a good coach," Bell said. "That was enough for me."

If you know anything about Phil Jackson, you know he doesn't waste words, time or energy on anything that doesn't help achieve the end game. Phil Jackson talks to Raja Bell for one reason – to get in his head so he'll do something that benefits the Lakers. In this case, something stupid like getting suspended.

This was Mind Games 101, even if no one on the Lakers is ever going to admit it. But this is why certain coaches and certain players figure out how to advance in the playoffs, even when they don't have the best talent.

This was two playoff veterans – ultra-competitive and proven winners – taking on an inexperienced opponent and getting him to melt down at the worst possible moment.

If you are into this kind of psych-out sports stuff, this was about as good as it gets.

"I got a bruised cheek here and I can barely open my jaw on this side, and that didn't come from nowhere," ranted Bell, citing hard fouls by Bryant that the refs never considered flagrant. "I felt like I'd had enough of that."

"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."

This might be the last straw for the Suns, who, while still capable of storming back and taking this series, sure have a tougher road now.

The best reaction on Tuesday night to Bell's idiocy was not Bryant's big grin but the expression of Steve Nash. His face was part disgust and part disbelief that five months of hard work and overcoming adversity might have just gone up in smoke.

Phoenix has plenty of reasons to complain about the refs in this series, but that doesn't mean you wonder "What would Ronny (Artest) do?"

The Suns did everything right this season to shake off the loss of Amare Stoudemire and wind up the second seed in the West. They absolutely maximized themselves.

But there is a difference between the regular season and the playoffs and Jackson and Bryant know that as well as anyone. A playoff series is, at times, a battle of attrition, emotion and maturity. It isn't just speed and skill. Brains often overwhelm brawn.

Without laughing, Bryant and Jackson even publicly implored the NBA not to suspend Bell.

"I let him play. … Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a child," Bryant smiled.

Kobe smiles a lot these days. Smiles about the way his team is playing. Smiles about his new daughter. Smiles over his restored relationship with Jackson.

Smiles that his team, which many thought wouldn't even make the playoffs, is on the verge of Round 2, where an historic matchup against the down-the-hallway Los Angeles Clippers await.

He was smiling big on Tuesday after getting hammered, brushing off the foul and playing up to the Phoenix crowd. He had every reason to. Raja Bell fell for the oldest trick in the book and took himself out of the most crucial game of the series.

Just how you can imagine Kobe and Phil dreamed it up.

This is my favourite part:

In a beautifully calculated bit of series-long gamesmanship, the Los Angeles Lakers' championship-experienced coach and star have taken Bell, the Phoenix Suns' best defender (not an oxymoron)

[Jackal]

Phil Jackson is a fucking genius, he truely is.

[The X]

Phil Jackson is a fucking genius, he truely is.

that he is....it seems pretty evident that he would be a catalyst for this, not Kobe....

[BIG GREEN]

Imo..dude is the greatest coach of all time.

[dada]

Got this from another forum.



Watch Bryant's left arm only.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!

Thats quite a big hit!

I dont even feel like arguing anymore after seeing this. Takes all legitimacy out of anything Bell says from my point of view.



I wonder why PHX4LIFE hasnt posted anything in here since that vid went up?

[magius]

you know, that clip could've just been a reflex guard reaction. If you see something move towards you quickly its not like anyones just gonna stand still. That or kobe's sweat is acidic and splashed him on the face. Or bell flopped which of course no one has ever done before. As for kobe's comments on bell... well, lets just say I don't think he's in any position to be making deep analyzations. That is unless you take the yzations part out.

anyway i love this series between the real mvp and the "real mvp" - neither of which should've been mvp. thats hot.

[Jackal]

Imo..dude is the greatest coach of all time.

I'd agree pretty much, maybe not the best X's & O's coach in the league (Larry Brown) but psychologically, he's a master. A Zen Master.

[Sauru]

they just want LA into the next round because Kobe's one of the biggest/most marketable icons. Also, I love your stupidity, Isaiah

what a stupid thing to say.

anyway kobe has the ability to get under almost anyones skin, and imo there is nothing wrong with it. why is it that when a player like kobe gets people pissed off on the court everyone calls him an asshole but when jordan or bird did it they were called smart, and people even have said thats its a talent they had. i hate kobe but after hearing some of his comments in all of this i am starting to like him a bit more. he is kinda funny actually.

[dada]

Another one converted.

He cant be 'that' bad after all.

[Sauru]

woah woah now, i am not converted. until he puts on the celtic green and declares his first 3 championships null and void, i wont be a fan of him lol

[Cloudy]

Interesting article! Truly Zen. I need to buy his book.

[J@3]

woah woah now, i am not converted. until he puts on the celtic green and declares his first 3 championships null and void, i wont be a fan of him lol

so in translation none of us should hold our breath.

[dada]

Now I know why I havent seen PHX4LIFE, he changed his name. doh


Funny how Barbosa also got elbowed by Kobe. Only difference is this one actually hit.

[Colin]

They played a different clip tonight of Kobe elbowing Raja and he definitely got hit on that one.

[The_Flying_Tomato]

i was working and had school. maybe you should get a job. and this wasn't a one time thing.



what i wanna know is, why were there no technicals? After a Tim Thomas shot(not the 6 sec. left one), kobe clearly chucked the ball at the pad behind the hoop. I do believe that would normally be a tech.

The refereeing was again sub-par, and I'll agree that some should have been called on PHX, but ditto with LAL.

[Andrew]

They never call a tech for that no matter who does it. They probably should but it's not like Kobe's the only one who's exempt.

[The_Flying_Tomato]

yeah, but in the playoffs... i'm saying you gotta make the right calls. that was a game-on-the-line call.

[Andrew]

But if it's not considered technical-worthy at any other time of the year, the Playoffs shouldn't be any different.

[J@3]

So they should all of a sudden call technicals in the play-offs for things they wouldn't call during the regular season? You're an idiot

[The_Flying_Tomato]

well if the game's on the line, I think you should whether it's pre-season or finals game 7. That actually might have been Thomas' shot with 6 ticks left. I believe it was. They should be calling that all season long if it's at the end and it determines the game.

[Colin]

No they shouldn't you spastic. If anything the refs favoured the Suns tonight. There was a couple touch fouls here and there that could've been no-calls. But nothing major.

[The_Flying_Tomato]

yeah, there were fouls both ways, some traveling not called, ... it was pretty horrible. so normal for this series.