Mavs/Spurs

[Leon]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

"He looked at me and said, 'Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?"' Duncan said. "If he wants to fight, we can fight. I don't have any problem with him, but we can do it if he wants to. I have no reason why in the middle of a game he would yell at me, 'Do you want to fight?"' -ESPN.com

I'm no Spurs fan but good god, that's ridiculous. Maybe that's why Duncan was laughing.

I'd be surprised -- well, maybe not -- if they don't review Crawford's behavior.

[Johnny_87]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Tim Duncan showing emotion! I love it

[ZB9]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Duncan ejected? That's no jokeby: Marc Stein
posted: Sunday, April 15, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Tim Duncan

DALLAS -- Tim Duncan grabs rebounds, but never headlines. Tim Duncan never lets us inside. Tim Duncan is boring.


Accurate scouting report, right?


Wrong. Duncan's dossier needs a major rewrite after Sunday.


An afternoon that was forecast to be more letdown than showdown wound up more competitive and combustible than the Mavericks or Spurs ever imagined, capped by Avery Johnson summoning Dirk Nowitzki back into the game for the final nine-plus minutes. That helped the hosts rally for a 91-86 triumph which, more than anything, seemed to suggest that Johnson simply couldn't bear to lose a home game to their hated rivals from the south, even when the game meant virtually nothing to Dallas.


However . . .


Don't expect to hear much more about the on-court proceedings after the way Duncan (a) was ejected for just the second time in his career and then (b) uncharacteristically unloaded on veteran ref Joey Crawford.


Unloaded, actually, doesn't begin to cover it, since the famously reserved Duncan (at least in his dealings with the media) not only accused Crawford of having "a personal vendetta" against him but also revealed that Crawford challenged him to a fight.


Interested yet?


Duncan arrived at the final regular-season weekend of his 10th NBA season with just one overturned ejection* in all that time and seven techs for the season. But twice in a span of 1:16 in Sunday's third quarter, Duncan was hit with Ts by Crawford.


While sitting on the bench.


The first was more surprising than shocking. Manu Ginobili was called for a foul and Duncan -- still simmering after an offensive foul that sent him to the bench moments earlier -- voiced a protest from his seat at referee LeRoy Richardson. Crawford swooped in to T him up. Unusual, yes, but not unprecedented.


The second? Call it a full-blown stunner.


Duncan was still seated and laughing animatedly on the bench after a foul had been whistled on Fabricio Oberto. Undoubtedly feeling he was being shown up, Crawford hit Duncan with T No. 2.

It was a scene reminiscent of the Western Conference finals in 2003 when Crawford ejected then-Mavs coach Don Nelson for standing silently (but defiantly) near the scorer's table in San Antonio after Nelson had been ordered to return to the bench.


The real show, though, would take place at Duncan's locker ... after the Spurs fizzled without him in the fourth.


An extended look at the quotes can be found here, but the summary is plenty good: Duncan explained in great detail how Crawford "has a personal problem with me" and repeatedly asked him before the technicals, "Do you want to fight?"

Duncan also insisted that he barely spoke to Crawford during the game and that he thinks he can play through any carryover when the Spurs and Crawford inevitably cross paths in the playoffs.


"I got to watch what I do, I guess," Duncan said. "I guess I can't laugh anymore. I can't enjoy the game. I'll have to sit there and put my head between my legs."


My best guesses from courtside:


1. Even though the second technical was one too many -- and even though a good chunk of public opinion is going to accumulate on Duncan's side -- he's a lock to get fined for his comments.

In December, remember, Jason Kidd was docked $20,000 for lashing out after a bungled call in Detroit sealed a one-point loss for the Nets. Didn't matter that Kidd was right about Vince Carter drawing a foul on Rasheed Wallace. Didn't matter that the league office deemed it a missed call as well. Kidd referred to the refs that night as "three blind mice" and Duncan just said a lot more than that.


2. Expect Crawford to be disciplined as well. The difference: Punishments for referees generally aren't made public, so we might not immediately know about any fines and/or suspensions.

Yet there's no way this can be downplayed in the league office. Duncan does have a well-chronicled rep as one of the league's most frequent complainers to referees and had to have said more to Crawford over the course of the afternoon than he claims. But a referee suggesting a fight to settle things, even in jest, is no way for a referee to calm tensions, which is one of their jobs.

And with players on both sides telling me they heard the word "fight" tossed around on the floor, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of Duncan's account.

3. This one really isn't a guess at all: I can't wait until the next Spurs game Crawford officiates. Should be, dare we say, pretty interesting.

*About that overturned ejection? Some good trivia I had forgotten, courtesy of our pal Johnny Ludden from the San Antonio Express-News: Duncan's only other career ejection -- on Feb. 4, 2002, after an exchange with Kevin Garnett got both guys tossed -- was rescinded by the league a day later.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog...2=stateChanged

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Pff....my guess is, when Crawford refs another Spurs game, it'll be against the Suns, and San Antonio will end up getting any and EVERY call just to make up for today's stuff.

[SteelersFreak]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Texas tough guys.

Looks like Duncan ran into one of the Mavrefs.

Please, don't even try to say this had anything to do with the Mavs. Crawford is a horrible ref anyway.

[Gibbz]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

I'm not one to say, "Oh it's the ref's fault," but it sured seemed as if Crawford was playing into the crowd.

[luv_mist]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

what about the two games in San Antonio that Dallas won? Duncan played both of those in their entirety and the Spurs still lost.

Not going to push any buttons but when I flipped on the television, it looked like the Mavs weren't in control of the game when Duncan got the tech. Then when Duncan got the tech, the refs called a few stupid calls to maket he game closer. Personally, we've all learned that season doesn't exactly translate into playoffs.......

[utexas]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Crawford let it get personal, but Duncan has got to understand how to let it drop after the first "T". Alot of star players complain about Crawford and Beveta (sp?) because they get personally offended, but when you are dealing with a person like that who is in some what of control you have to adjust, because most likely they won't.

[MassNole]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Crawford let it get personal, but Duncan has got to understand how to let it drop after the first "T". Alot of star players complain about Crawford and Beveta (sp?) because they get personally offended, but when you are dealing with a person like that who is in some what of control you have to adjust, because most likely they won't.

The NBA could simplify the issue and fire Beveta and Crawford.

[utexas]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

The NBA could simplify the issue and fire Beveta and Crawford.

We are talking about David Stern who obviously thinks corporate business practices translate to the hardwood.....

[Snigitty James]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

The NBA could simplify the issue and fire Beveta and Crawford.

Yes but then who would Charles race next year???

[ZB9]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Pff....my guess is, when Crawford refs another Spurs game, it'll be against the Suns, and San Antonio will end up getting any and EVERY call just to make up for today's stuff.

yea, im worried about that too.

the Spurs might be getting some "make up calls" in the playoffs, even though yesterday's game meant very little. The Spurs have a history of getting the benefit of calls in the playoffs anyway.

[coogrfan]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

yea, im worried about that too.

the Spurs might be getting some "make up calls" in the playoffs, even though yesterday's game meant very little. The Spurs have a history of getting the benefit of calls in the playoffs anyway.

Do Mavs fans ever get tired of whining about officiating?

[ZB9]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Not going to push any buttons but when I flipped on the television, it looked like the Mavs weren't in control of the game when Duncan got the tech. Then when Duncan got the tech, the refs called a few stupid calls to maket he game closer. Personally, we've all learned that season doesn't exactly translate into playoffs.......

the game was back and forth before Duncan got ejected. The Mavs were up by 7 at one point at the end of the second quarter. Of course, the Spurs took a 3 point lead into half time but the game was close. There were a crapload of lead changes before Duncan got thrown out.

San Antonio probably would have pulled it out if Duncan wouldnt have been ejected, but we dont know that. Games between these two teams are always down to the wire.

anyway, like i said, who cares if the Spurs would have won? it's not like today's game meant anything. I dont understand all of the complaining about a meaningless game. It was basically a "good practice" like Parker said. The standings were not going to change regardless of who won. There are 2 games left.

[ZB9]

Re: Mavs/Spurs

Do Mavs fans ever get tired of whining about officiating?

LOL yea, im the one complaining about officiating in this thread.