The strange thing is, why wouldn’t they want the Suns to extend the series? Everybody wins, right? Then the tinfoil hat types would be able to look at the calls in game 6, which is usually a good “ref game.”

Seeing this-and I haven’t been watching the playoffs at all-reminds me that I really hate the Celtics. Bill Simmons is a factor, first when I found out that he was a big time Kareem hater (pure jealousy), and then getting the gift of Cassell… it was just obnoxious that he got that right, when it made no sense at all for the Clippers.

Then there’s this. The clip is crazy enough, but the photo is really extraordinary. Garnett is just a crazy hothead, which is fine, but he (and Cassell) should be punished like they’re “regular” players. If it wasn’t for the Amare precedent, it might be different. My guess is that if Garnett was forced to sit out a game we’d see what Boston is really made of. The Massholes would freak out, but the photo shows that you could certainly make the call. It’s interesting that in the clip the coverage never showed Garnett’s reaction with the ref after Cassell escalated the fracas. And the tech on Joe Johnson (the new Bernard King) is just ridiculous.

I didn’t listen to the audio, but Pachulia did exactly the right thing. He could have refrained from leaning his head forward, but escalating with Garnett, the Celtics best player, is gamesmanship 101, and straight out of the Red Auerbach/Tommy Heinsohn playbook-that was basically Heinsohn’s role, to play dirty with Elgin Baylor or Jerry West to try to get in a fight with them. I love Garnett, but it’s really upsetting to see the Celtic arrogance and special treatment back. I’m sure Sam is loving it-Sam knows exactly what he’s doing, trying to get JJ to retaliate to him. And he actually did manage to get a T on JJ out of thin air. It’s amazing the way he works his mojo.

I’m usually with you, John, but I must part ways on a few points.

While I do think that KG overreacted to nothing, that shove wasn’t much, either. Good for Pachulia for standing up to him, but was it really all that bad? The playoffs are chippy. It is high intensity.

KG wasn’t pushing a ref. He was pushing some guy that grabbed his arm who happened to be a ref. I don’t think a suspension is in order, but he should certainly be fined.

Nobody began running towards this fracas the way Diaw and Stoudamire did last year. They were in stride to go get involved when their coaches told them to come back. They shouldn’t have been suspended last year, but it was different than what happened in the C’s game.

David Stern is a globalist, but if that were his sole motivation, his best move would be to have the Rockets win every year. I think we all need to accept the reality that San Antonio is a better playoff team than the Suns. PHX is just not built for the half-court, defensive nature of playoff basketball.

On this point I shall elaborate in a new diary.