I guess it’s for the best that Ray Allen won’t be playing on the USA National Basketball team with Bruce Bowen.
“It’s just dirty basketball. It’s plain, outright, dirty basketball,” Allen said. “You guys have chronicled our battles over the last couple of years and I don’t mind the competition, someone going at me on both ends of the floor. … But when guys start throwing elbows and kick you when you’re down, that’s dirty basketball and I don’t respect guys like that.”
Afterward, Bowen was apologetic, admitting it was a mistake. Allen believes the Spurs’ forward should be fined.
“I did what I did and I’m sorry for that,” Bowen said. “But there’s nothing I can do to take it back.”
During last year’s Western Conference semifinals, Allen accused Bowen of playing “sissy basketball.”
“I don’t care for that type of basketball,” Allen said. “I don’t even call it basketball.”
The Sonics won tonight’s matchup, thanks to Allen’s 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left. I expect a different outcome, both for the Sonics and for Ray Allen, when these teams face each other again on April 11.
I only caught the last 45 minutes of the game, so I didn’t see all of the events leading up to the kick. But I have seen the play during which the incident occurred, and it’s clear that Ray deliberately jumped right up into Bruce’s grill and knocked him down. What Bruce did wasn’t smart, or right, but Ray’s angel act is a crock of shit. And it wasn’t much of a kick. I’m glad the league didn’t suspend him. I guess the $10,000 fine Bruce has to pay should go to Miracle Diapers in Ray’s honor.