Minnesota coach Flip Saunders had to laugh about the Lakers’ charges that his team played so ruggedly and physically, bordering on dirty, in Game 2.
“Phil [Jackson] is a master of being able to manipulate,” Saunders said. “That’s one of the things I’ve always been impressed with about him, his ability to get his point across without coming out and saying it. But we’re not going to play any differently than we’re playing.”
Saunders said that’s because his team, which always has been regarded as a finesse, execution club, specializes in screening.
But it was Saunders who started to do a little lobbying to the referees after Game 3. The Lakers complained after Game 2 how Kevin Garnett was called for just two fouls in the first two games, and Garnett fouled out in Game 3.
“It was very ironic now in 42 minutes he gets six fouls,” Saunders said.
More foul stuff
Mark Madsen was intentionally trying to foul Shaquille O’Neal late in the game and it wasn’t called. O’Neal said it proved his point that he gets fouled so often and doesn’t get foul calls.
“They’re going to foul me 50 times and I’ll probably only go to the line for 15,” O’Neal said. “Mark is sitting there telling the referees, and he’s looking right at me. I said, `What are you looking at?'”
A fine mess
Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers was fined $10,000 for making an obscene gesture during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit. Frustrated all night by the Pistons’ stifling defense, Artest ran up the court with both middle fingers extended in the fourth quarter of the Pacers’ 72-67 loss to the Pistons on Monday night.
“I always regret doing something like that,” Artest said after Tuesday’s practice. “I have to be able to control situations like that.”
