spell_check wrote:Do they get fined for that? Or just suspensions?
Stoudemire joins suspended trio
From correspondents in New York
May 16, 2007 THE National Basketball Association suspended Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw of Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs Robert Horry today.
The NBA's disciplinary committee announced that each Phoenix player would be suspended for one game without pay after an altercation between players from both teams in their Western Conference play-off semi-final yesterday.
Stu Jackson, executive vice-president of basketball operations, said Horry would receive the biggest penalty - a two game ban for a hard foul on Phoenix's most valuable player Steve Nash and for elbowing Nash's teammate Raja Bell in the head.
Stoudemire and Diaw were booked for leaving the players bench although neither got involved in the altercation at San Antonio's AT&T Centre.
The suspensions mean Phoenix will be without their star and top scorer Stoudemire and Diaw for game five tomorrow.
The fighting started after Horry hammered Nash into the scorers table with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth period of the Suns 104-98 win which levelled the best of seven series at two games each.
The Suns are the biggest losers as Stoudemire is the Suns' No.1 centre averaging 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds during the regular season.
Stoudemire has stepped up his play in the play-offs, averaging 23.9 points and 12.1 rebounds in nine play-off games.
Diaw is one of their top players coming off the bench averaging 7.2 points in the post-season.
Horry has been averaging 6.4 points off the bench for the Spurs