:thumbup::thumbup: I hope they take it all

Artest not suspended for Game 4, foul downgraded

HOUSTON (AP)—The NBA downgraded a flagrant foul called against Ron Artest(notes), determining Saturday that the play should not have been severe enough to warrant an ejection.

Artest was whistled for a flagrant foul penalty two, an automatic ejection, for his hard foul on Pau Gasol(notes) late in the Lakers’ 108-94 victory over Houston on Friday in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

“It happened so fast. It’s a bang-bang play. Nowadays, in our league, that’s cause for a flagrant foul,” Houston coach Rick Adelman said. “The referees told me that he hit him in the head. But it was such a bang-bang play, I just didn’t think there was any intention of hurting him or anything. They just reacted to the play, Gasol went down hard. I think (downgrading) it was a good call.”

League spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Saturday the foul was downgraded. Artest will not face a suspension for Game 4 on Sunday.

“I think that they made more of that than it was. I didn’t think that was a flagrant two,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “It looked to me like it was a hard foul. There’s a danger point right there where Pau goes down, and then I think they have to worry about it a little bit. But as far as malicious contact, I have to disagree. I think they overreacted a little bit on that.”

Artest also had a point removed from his flagrant foul total. Players are suspended a game if they accumulate four flagrant foul points in the postseason.

“It don’t mean nothing to me,” Artest said of the league’s decision. “It’s not important. It doesn’t matter to me.”

The temperamental Artest was also thrown out of Game 2 in Los Angeles after a verbal confrontation with Kobe Bryant(notes). Artest claimed that Bryant elbowed him in the neck, a blow that wasn’t called by the officials.

Seems like everyone thinks its Lakers vs Cavs in the finals and no one is noticing what the Nuggets are doing. They can compete with any team and will give the Lakers a fight for the West crown.

The Magic can also challenge the Cavs if they are on.

Thank you Rockets for embarrassing the Lakers without your core players. And if the Rockets win the series as well, kudos to them since the Lakers haven't shown any desire or heart to win.

Yes, I am a Lakers fan but I am so embarrassed and it's so much harder to swallow a loss when your team plays this way. This performance is completely unacceptable for this franchise.

Vent over.

Lakers vs Nuggets will be really fun. My money is on Nuggets, more complete team. Yeah, go Nuggets

Game 7 all around. Should be fun for sure.

Lakers vs. Houston seriers is "expected" to go to Game 7. Every time we have a heated, physical series involving technicals, ejections and those sort of things, It will go all the way to game 7, yes because of the TV ratings. Lakers want sell more tickets at home. The outcome of game 7 is about 90% sure of Lakers, that makes the tickets selling for 1 more game is expected. Who wouldn't want to watch a series like this? Ron Artest and Kobe have a thing going so everytime they guard each others things heat up. Game 7 please.

A little behind are we?

Expected is not wazzz up.
Last nights Lakers loss
made it a fact.

Quicksilver, you are half right. The way the Lakers played last night was not even 80% of what they are capable of. They would like to win it on their home court where they could sell tickets for another round. Each playoff home game makes a lot of money. So if they lose Game 7 that is their fault for letting it happen. But they did let the Rockets off the hook yesterday and I think that was half intentional half because of their "down playing" the Rockets. Houston is no where close to the Lakers capability. If they were even close Vegas wouldn't have had the Spread LA -10 last night on Houston home court and -14 coming sunday. Its the TV ratings and profit they make from each additional home game in the Playoff make you believe Houston had a shot. But as I said earlier, if they lose game 7, thats their fault for outweighing the profits. Look at it this way, BOSTON had a chance in game 6? Vegas had ORL -7 and they won by 8. That makes it a fact. 90% of the time BOSTON would lose game 6. Its all about the profits they make out of each homecourt playoff game (TV, tickets and a lot more, that makes up a large portion of their profit for entire season). Now thats a fact.

Houston - LA the most watched series. No doubt LA want to win it at home, another round of playoff tickets sell. ROCKETS think they have a chance. Now thats funny. Denver Next.