First of all let me just say that this is a BS rule, and it should have been changed long ago. Let me also say that Amare Stoudemire is an idiot, and Iavoroni did not his job well, which in this case is to keep the players on the bench.
The rule states that any player who leads the bench area during an altercation is automatically suspended for a game. I can't help Amare Stoudemire with this one. The only thing he could have done to save himself is go over to the scorer's table and try to check into the game pretending like that was his original purpose. However by that point the coaches were finally doing their jobs and pushing him back towards the bench.
Diaw, on the other hand, left the bench as soon as Steve Nash went down and was headed towards him. I don't even know if he really came on the court. And however by the time the altercation started he was on his way back to the bench.
By the letter of the law, if the league was going to suspend Diaw for what he did they also should have suspended Tim Duncan for leaving the bench when Elson was upended earlier in the game. What they did was virtually the same thing.
The whole situation sucks, and I think most of the blame goes to the NBA and the officiating for perpetuating this kind of play the whole series by allowing San Antonio to play animal ball for 3.75 games. I would absolutely love it if one of the bench scrubs for the Phoenix Suns took it upon himself to body check Tim Duncan right in front of the San Antonio bench in Game 5. I don't want to see him hurt. I just would love to see it.
Joe
The rule states that any player who leads the bench area during an altercation is automatically suspended for a game. I can't help Amare Stoudemire with this one. The only thing he could have done to save himself is go over to the scorer's table and try to check into the game pretending like that was his original purpose. However by that point the coaches were finally doing their jobs and pushing him back towards the bench.
Diaw, on the other hand, left the bench as soon as Steve Nash went down and was headed towards him. I don't even know if he really came on the court. And however by the time the altercation started he was on his way back to the bench.
By the letter of the law, if the league was going to suspend Diaw for what he did they also should have suspended Tim Duncan for leaving the bench when Elson was upended earlier in the game. What they did was virtually the same thing.
The whole situation sucks, and I think most of the blame goes to the NBA and the officiating for perpetuating this kind of play the whole series by allowing San Antonio to play animal ball for 3.75 games. I would absolutely love it if one of the bench scrubs for the Phoenix Suns took it upon himself to body check Tim Duncan right in front of the San Antonio bench in Game 5. I don't want to see him hurt. I just would love to see it.
Joe
