Assuming he threw an elbow punch at Hinrich, I think he should and will be suspended for Game 7, per league rules.

Note the caption on the reuters news photo though

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Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo (R) pushes Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich out of bounds as referee Ed Malloy moves in during the first quarter of Game 6 of their NBA Eastern conference quarterfinal basketball game in Chicago April 30, 2009. REUTERS/Frank Polich (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

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IF... have you heard Rondo speak??? Funny stuff.

***** deserved to get his white ass shoved off the court. Rondo is just doing his part to clean the game up.

Rondo's trash. There's a fine line between physicality and being a punk. Knocking Miller's tooth out one day, and the next he rides Hinrich down the court for 15 feet or so then throws him into the media bench.

Stern won't man up and do anything about it for Game 7 though, it's too high of a publicized series to do anything about it. Orlando vs. Philadelphia on the other hand... who cares?

No way Rondo gets suspended for Game 7. I think he deserves it, but it's not going to happen.

He should, but I doubt he will...

He won't be suspended.....all about the ratings and revenue

He's a thug

he was definitely trying to throw a 'bow.

should be suspended, but he won't be.

i love how hinrich is trying to get around the ref to let him have it though.

As others have said, should but won't. Should have been thrown out of the game when he threw Hinrich into the scorer's table. Couldn't believe that wasn't a flagrant 2

he should have been suspended for the foul on Miller in game 5, add this to his tally and he will be sitting for game 7-

Doc Rivers has photos of Stu Jackson in bed with a Knicks ball boy. There will be no suspension.

I don't think you can suspend Rondo without suspending Heinrich too...

Fire, you could easily suspend someone for throwing a person into the scorers table and then an attempted elbow, and NOT suspend Hinrich for shoving in retaliation.

In fact I think that is what they should do.

Suspend and Fine Rondo.
Fine Hinrich.

ESPN had a good slow motion of him grabbing Hinrich's arm and slinging him into the table. It will be interesting to see what happens...

The incident wasn't even mentioned in ESPN's article on the game.

Had Artest tossed Steve Blake into the scorers table and threw a bow would the reaction have been the same? I'm sure ESPN would have 5 different stories about it on Sportscenter.

Considering Artest is 178 pounds heavier than Blake and has a bad reputation, you probably would have heard a lot more about it on Sportscenter

If Brad Miller would have fouled Rondo like Rondo fouled Brad Miller, it would be pretty safe to assume Miller would have had some sort of punishment from the league.

Size or reputation doesn't matter (well, it clearly does to the NBA, but it shouldn't), it's the inconsistency that is frustrating.

Now ESPN is mentioning he threw his elbow but missed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4119988

Some action needs to be taken, that's two games in a row he is getting away with things like this, and the league not taking any action is sending him the message that it's okay, because it's the playoffs, and you're on the Celtics, and this series is making us some loot.

[This message has been edited by LeftyHound (edited 5/1/2009 12:04p).]

Heinrich fights like a girl.

Though Rondo definitely slung him into the scorer's table, Heinrich initiated the second contact.

[This message has been edited by aero ag 2010 (edited 5/1/2009 12:13p).]

Rondo let off for Game 6 skirmish

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4124025

Absolutely retarded. The league yet again proves ratings and revenue reign supreme in their decision making.

I see Brad Miller standing over Rondo at the end of quintuple overtime in game 7 saying, "If he dies, he dies."

under the rules, does swinging and missing with the elbow make a difference?

No clue on the elbow. Swinging and missing with a clenched fist is automatic suspension.

thrown elbow that doesn't make contact is a technical foul

thrown elbow that connects is a flagrant foul.

so they are treated differently than punches. perhaps the NBA is following the rules as written.

I think if he played the same team on consecutive games in the reg season, had the brad miller incidennt then threw heinrich like that the next game, he would be suspended.

game 7 in the best playoff series ever is a different story

I think the nba tries to not suspendplayers unless it has to: ie when black and white rules like clearing the bench or clinched fist swing are broken.

Best playoff series ever?

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Best playoff series ever?

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Yes, end of discussion.

It's up there after 6 games...if Game 7 is a nail-biter as well, then it moves into "all-time great NBA series" category. A blowout in Game 7 certainly wouldn't discount what's gone on in the first 6, but that would be people's most recent memory and it wouldn't be remembered quite the same way.

If you take 7 games, 6 of them are great, Game 7 is great and the blowout occurred in, say, game 3, then people don't remember the Game 3 blowout as much as they'd remember a Game 7 rout.

If Game 7 is a nail-biter, then it can legitimately be discussed as the greatest NBA playoff series ever...but it does need a great Game 7 to cap it off. I'd put it in "medal status" already.

Game 7 is pretty good so far.

get ready for overtime

The NBA's inconsistency from the 1st quarter to the last and from game to game really make it hard to get into.