Rip should be suspended

[celticmaestro]

agreed. there was intent there and it's unacceptable.

[crownsy]

yea, he shouldn't be suspended, but it should have been a flagrant 1, and he should be fined.

[Redz]

There was certainly intent, but he'll get a pass from the league office because he looked like a mouse taking a cheap shot at a cat. 

[CoachBo]

Y'all gotta cut Rip some slack. It can be pretty stressful when the officials don't bail you out every time a shot doesn't fall, a la Mr. James.

 

It's always a good sign when such a significant player in a series reaches that level of frustration in Game 1.

[reggie35]

they should fine him, and it should've been a flagrant, but no suspensions. i don't want the pistons to have any excuses when we send them fishing.

[CDawg834]

Rip's elbow did make for the line of the night though from JVG to Mike Breen:

"If he's not that kind of player Mike, then why did he do it?"

I think he is becoming my new favorite commentator, he doesn't spout off cliches or state the obvious all night, along with a sense of humor you might not expect from him.  I think it's just nice to watch a Boston playoff game that doesn't have Joe Buck and Tim McCarver involved.

[Thruthelookingglass]

they should fine him, and it should've been a flagrant, but no suspensions. i don't want the pistons to have any excuses when we send them fishing.

Flagrant 1 ought to have been called, but move on.  It was an odd moment in an otherwise classy game, and Garnett himself took little offense. 

[CelticsWhat35]

A suspension would be too harsh.  It was definitely intentional and should've warranted either a technical or a flagrant 1, but since the refs blew it, the best we can hope for is a small fine, which is nothing to a millionaire.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

Non-issue. Am I the only one who can't stand the fact that a play like that could even be considered for a suspension (which it in no way should be)? Its the ECF thats what playoff basketball has been and should be. Every little elbow thrown shouldn't merit suspensions, heck even T's. Maybe just spouting off about the good ol' days but still.

There is no way that play deserves a suspension. Would you want that same elbow thrown by a Celtic to result in a suspension? Didn't think so.

[Larry Legend]

Please.  It was just a chippy play between two teams that don't like each other.  He got the foul and KG is fine.  We can beat the pistons without Stern's help.

My biggest problem is that the guy who decides to get chippy is wearing a face mask.  Take the mask off you whuss. 

[ChampKind]

Hollinger thinks that it may lead to some discipline after review, according to today's Daily Dime (Point 7)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-080521

Personally I don't think it will, it was just a tough play, and I'm pretty sure it will come back at the Pistons.  When it does, I don't want to see any of our guys get suspended.

[Redz]

Clearly he was responding to KG's hard pick earlier.  The difference was KG just put a little extra on a pick fluidly, while Hamilton had to go out of his way to reach up at KG's face with an elbow as an afterthought while passing. 

Honestly, as Van Gundy pointed out, the game was lacking any chippiness, so it was good to see a little fire between the two teams.  Though I'd be plenty happy to see Detroit take it on the chin silently all series, I've got to believe they're going to come out with some intensity at some point in this series.