Projo Sports Blog

By ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON - Kevin Garnett is serving a one-game suspension tonight.

He got tangled up with Milwaukee forward Andrew Bogut in the fourth quarter Saturday night, underneath the basket, in Boston's overtime victory against the Bucks.

Bogut hit Garnett in the head twice with his elbow and from one replay angle, it appeared that Garnett threw his arms up and out toward Bogut in self defense. The replay showed that Garnett wasn't even looking at Bogut when he threw his arms up in the air.

His left hand shot out in Bogut's direction and appeared to connect with Bogut's jaw. NBA officials ruled that it was a punch.

Boston coach Doc Rivers disagrees.

"I was just surprised," Rivers said of the ruling. "I thought it was a ridiculous suspension. I really did. Anybody who has been around the game long enough, whether you played it or not, knows that if you have your head turned sideways and someone strikes you, not once but twice, your reaction, it's almost a reflex to...flail and I guess that constitutes a punch. Clearly he's not a good fighter if that's a punch but it is what it is and there is nothing you can do about it."

Rivers and the rest of the Celtics wish that there was an appeals process to appeal suspensions handed down by the league, but there isn't.

"I just want more consistency from our league," Rivers said. "I think they have to look at things differently. I just looked at the [Shaquille O'Neal] thing and I hate to call out Shaq, but that was a hard foul where a guy is suspended in the air and he comes down on his face and he gets fined [$25,000] and Kevin gets [$200,000] and misses a game."

Rivers was referring to O'Neal's flagrant-2 foul on Detroit's Rodney Stuckey over the weekend.

Boston's players agreed with Rivers assessment of the ruling that kept Garnett out of last night's game.

"I wouldn't have suspended him for that but it's the league and it's their rules so whatever they decide, we've got to roll with," Boston forward Leon Powe said.

"I think it's kind of messed up in a way," Boston forward Kendrick Perkins said of the suspension.

Both Powe and Perkins said that there is a lot of pushing and shoving in every game underneath the basket.

"You get tangled up and players get to talking to each other," Powe said. "It just happens. The game of basketball is physical. We just have to remember that it's the league's rules and if they happen to give you a call and say that you're suspended, you're suspended."

Powe said that Garnett has taught him that the best way to get back at somebody is to play better than them on both ends of the court.

 Tags  Boston Celtics Doc Rivers Kendrick Perkins Kevin Garnett Leon Powe

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