Jackson was recently the center of media controversy for his handling of
suspensions related to several incidents in the fourth game of the Phoenix
Suns/San Antonio Spurs series in the 2007 NBA Playoffs.[1][2]
In the closing seconds of Game 4, with the Suns leading 100-97, the Spurs'
Robert Horry committed a flagrant foul on Suns point guard Steve Nash,
sending Nash into the scorer's table. Several Suns players moved away from
their bench toward Nash and Horry after the foul. Horry proceeded to
deliver
a forearm to the shoulders and head of Raja Bell, a Suns player currently
in
the game, as Bell confronted Horry verbally about the foul.
Stu Jackson and the NBA suspended Horry for one game for the hard foul on
Nash, and one game for delivering the forearm to Bell. Two Suns players
were
also suspended - starting center Amare Stoudemire and swingman Boris Diaw
-
for leaving the immediate bench area in violation of a league rule. Some
think the suspensions of the two Suns players cost the team the series,
which they lost 4-2.
Critics of the decision point out that Horry, of the Spurs, instigated the
incident and was the only one who actually physically assaulted anyone.
Stu Jackson and NBA Commissioner David Stern have defended their decision
by
pointing out that the two Suns players put themselves in the position to
be
suspended by not being able to control their own behavior. They have also
stated during interviews that the rule is in place precisely to avoid an
escalation of an altercation, and that without that rule it is likely that
the altercation would have, in fact, become a bigger brawl.
Critics further point out that earlier in the game two Spurs players left
their own bench and came onto the court to aid a teammate after a hard
non-foul by James Jones of the Suns on Francisco Elson of the Spurs, but
were not suspended.[3]
Jackson responded that the Spurs players who came on the court were not in
violation of league policy because there was no "actual altercation." Suns
coach Mike D'Antoni attempted to defend his players actions, stating that
Stoudemire and Diaw were leaving the bench, but not with the intention of
starting a fight, rather just to check on the status of their fallen
teammate.
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