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Kevin Garnett Backs Down ... Again
It's hard to argue that Kevin Garnett didn't do the right thing. Even after Zaza Pachulia got in his grill, KG kept his hands at his sides and didn't retaliate. No one wants to see Garnett get tossed out of a close game for taking a swing; not the Hawks, who'd have their victory tainted, and not the Celtics, who'd be worried about a Game 5 suspension.
That said ... how come when Dirk Nowitzki does this he's labled "soft," but when KG does it he's praised for keeping his cool? KG clearly instigated this by throwing a high elbow after the whistle, and after Pachulia retaliated with a head-butt, KG waited until he was separated by refs and teammates before trying to get in on the action.
Everyone always talks about KG's intensity and ferocity, but when push comes to shove, he hasn't exactly backed up his words (see: Peeler, Anthony and the 2004 playoffs; and McDyess, Antonio last season). I have all the respect in the world for his game, but when it comes to accusations of being soft or flopping in the playoffs, he deserves as much criticism as Nowitzki and Tracy McGrady.
(On a side note, it'll be interesting to see if Kendrick Perkins and/or Marvin Williams get suspended for stepping out onto the court. They clearly were only trying to get a better look and not get in on the scrum, but still, the rule's been enforced by the letter of the law in the past.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-29-2008 @ 1:56AM
ken said...
WHY SHOULD KG DO ANYTHING AND GET TOSSED FROM THE GAME AND MAYBE EVEN THE PLAYOFF'S HE DID THE RIGHT THING THEY ARE TRYING TO GET KG TOSSED IT IS PRETTY OBVIOUS ABOUT THIS WHEN THEY GO TO BOSTON THEY ARE IN TROUBLE WILL GO 6 GAMES BOSTON TAKING IT YOU ARE CALLING HIM SOFT I CALL HIM SMART IN REGULAR SEASON HE WOULD HAVE BEEN KNOCKED THE " F " OUT
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4-29-2008 @ 1:58AM
George said...
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j284/kdbailey593/kg.jpg
Doesn't pushing a referee usually lead to a suspension??
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4-29-2008 @ 2:20AM
Eugene said...
George is right. KG should be suspended at the very minimum for 1 game. Touching an official is an automatic suspension - don't show bias, David Stern!
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4-29-2008 @ 2:25AM
TwinTwin44 said...
Matt you are u dummy, why should a potentail MVP KG fight a nobody to show his intensity. the guy is one of the hardesd working player on and off the court.
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4-29-2008 @ 2:43AM
Celtics Tickets said...
When people grow into their position in life, and stop fighting that should be admired.
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4-29-2008 @ 2:52AM
anny said...
Guys, you don't actually think KG is going to get suspended do you? If they didn't suspend Kidd for flipping Pargo last night, they aren't going to suspend KG. Stern has never been a fair man. Don't think he's going to start now.
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4-29-2008 @ 3:02AM
ali deCastro said...
I think Matt was also just pointing out that when KG backs down he is lauded for being smart, and when Dirk does the same thing he is called soft. I agree that he shouldn't have done anything and risk suspension though. Which is what he kind of did when he started going after pachulia after they were separated.
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4-29-2008 @ 3:57AM
ADAM said...
KG IS FAR FROM SOFT, IF YOU CONSIDER YOU KNOW BASKETBALL AND KG. HE IS THE PROFESSOR, CHECK OUT HIS WISDOM.
AS ALWAYS ADAM.
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4-29-2008 @ 4:11AM
PHZ-Sicks said...
Is it me or is it when Stern is in the building a fight always seems to happen?
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4-29-2008 @ 4:20AM
LB said...
This a stupid post. First, KG hit him first. Second, he didn't get headbutted. KG acts like he got hit for the refs but wasn't. So KG is supposed to hit him twice to prove his manhood??? A bench warmer???
Dirk is soft. 1) He is a seven footer that can't post up. They were the number one team in the West and lost in the first round. They lost 4 games in a row in the finals. He is soft on the defense end.
KG has changed the whole culture of the Celtics. The MAVS got Kidd because DIrk isn't much of a leader.
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4-29-2008 @ 6:39AM
frank said...
To all the experts up there :
Boston was going to sweep;
After they ( Atlanta got lucky) 5 games;
Al Horford is this and that but boston are nice guys( Al Horford) just a kid but the gansta Pierce is not;
Now they said is only 6 games ??
Get it ! Boston is not all that and the bunch of old players so call veterans are so hungry to get a ring that they are loosing their composure to a very young team and a few rookies, there experts, done.
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4-29-2008 @ 8:17AM
David said...
Come on, Man, get real. I'm a big Hawks fan and for anyone it's clear that Kevin Garnett did the right thing by refusing to get goaded into a fight. Geez, this is a non-issue. Backed down? Man, Garnett conducted himself like the mature professional he is.
We need more players in the NBA like Garnett.
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4-29-2008 @ 8:54AM
S. Virginia said...
Remember children are watching the play-offs. We don't want our children to feel that to win you have to throw a punch. Its basketball now boxing. The only thing that should be thrown is the basketball. Now stop instigating.
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4-29-2008 @ 10:01AM
Dan said...
Why is it that the Boston fans have to write in caps? Just admit that your team may be in trouble and that your season, like the Mavs before them, isn't a real indication of how good you are down the stretch.
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4-29-2008 @ 10:12AM
ndn said...
West put his hand in Dirk's face and then tapped his face, no one put a hand on KG if they had put their hand in his face he should have not the hand out of his face... Dirk is soft!!!
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4-29-2008 @ 10:57AM
Timothy said...
It is amazing to me how people that have never played any form of sport on any level can make such sensless accusations about professional athletes. Saying Kevin Garnett is soft is just stupid. Saying Kevin Garnett does not win the big game is stupid. If you put Kevin Garnett with any other top player in the West and he would have a number of championship rings. The game of basketball requires a team effort and two superstars to win the championship. Or you can just have a well rounded team like the Spurs. Yes, Scottie Pippien was a superstar.
But anyway, why should KG hit a nobody. I live in Atlanta and Zsa Zsa(nice as he is as a person)is horrible on the court. Why get tossed for this guy? It's a shame when we live in a society when a person is attacked for doing the right thing. KG is attacked for being soft because he doesn't hit garbage players. KG is attacked for being loyal to a team that provided no help for him to be a winner. KG is attaced for working hard and having values unlike other spoiled players in the league. Fans are amazing. Some of these comments show how out of touch some people are with reality.
Oh yeah, KG soft. KG was charged with lynching in South Carolina. Under South Carolina law, the crime of lynching is defined solely as an act of violence by two or more persons against another, no matter the race of the victim. KG is soft thats funny. The reality of the matter is KG has matured.
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4-29-2008 @ 11:57AM
CICI said...
FIRST OF ALL YALL REALLY NEED TO STOP HATIN ON DA CELTICS AND K.G, THE CELTICS CAME A LONG WAY WINNING 66 GAMES FOR THIS SEASON LET ME REPEAT 66 ARE YALL CRAZY THE CELTICS ARE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, AND FOR THAT LITTLE EPISODE LASTNIGHT K.G WASNT WRONG AT ALL WHY THE HELL WAS PACHULIA WAZ ON HIS SHOULDER FOR SO HE BRUSHED HIM OFF AND YOU COULD SEE THAT HE HE DIDNT MEAN TO PUSH THE REF IT WAZ AT THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT COME ON BE SERIOUS THANK GOD K.G DIDNT HIT HIM K.G GOT A WHOLE LOT TO LOOSE PACHULIA DOESNT HAVE SHIT TO LOOSE AND I REALLY DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THE HELL JOE JOHNSON EVEN TOUCHED K.G IN THE FIRST PLACE I LOVE THE CELTICS MOST OF ALL I LOVE KEVIN GARNETT HE IS NOT SOFT HE IS JUST SMART......
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4-29-2008 @ 1:18PM
Casey said...
Soft or not, Garnett is nothing but false bravado. He's not a tough guy; he's a millionaire playing one on the court. Serious game, but when push comes to shove, KG always backs down.
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4-29-2008 @ 1:26PM
Mamba said...
Hey professor, Kobe is gonna burry them all in the end so get your mindset ready for humiliation in the finals, assuming Boston will even get there, coz right now I don't see that happen. Allthough I would love to see boston loose in the finals. Like Mike Patton once said: "...it pleases me to see those Boston Celtic fans crying in their green beer.".
cheers
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4-29-2008 @ 1:30PM
frank said...
As we speak right now LA has a better chance to be in the finals then Boston or Detroit;
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