In football it's common practice to go after a key player's injury. A running back has a bum right ankle, you make sure to wrap him and give an extra twist around the feet. If a QB has a bad shoulder, a 15-yard accidental late hit might be worth it.
It might not be applauded, but I find it acceptable in a physical, contact sport. I don't see it that way with what the Spurs tried to pull off last night.
Send in Big Shot Bob to get in a cheap shot on David West's back a game after he torched San Antonio for 38 points and has proved to be the difference maker in these playoffs. Chris Paul is great, but West's presence is key to beating the Spurs.
Mark Jackson applauded this play as something that former NBA greats would stand up and applaud - a savvy veteran move. Really? I don't see it that way.
Byron Scott is one of those former NBA guys Jackson was speaking of:
“I’m not real OK with it,” Scott told Yahoo! Sports. “But if I didn’t know Robert on a personal level, I’d say that was a dirty shot. Yeah, if I didn’t know him the way I know him, I’d say it was a cheap shot.”Worst of all, Spurs fans chanted Horry's name for the subsequent minute. Classy.
“I also think he understood what he was doing."
Typical Spurs garbage, but it's the kind of garbage that makes the NBA much more entertaining when you have the good guys battling evil wearing black.
Let's just hope West is good to play in Game 7. If that's the case, I can forget about this cheap shot.
more
