Rondo Suspended 2 Games

Rondo Suspended 2 Games; Garnett and Wallace Are Fined



After Kris Humphries, center, fouled Kevin Garnett, left, late in the first half of Wednesday's game, Rajon Rondo, right, responded by shoving Humphries.

By PETER MAY
Published: November 29, 2012

BOSTON — Rajon Rondo told the N.B.A. on Thursday that he felt he had not done “anything dirty” and that his altercation with the Nets’ Kris Humphries on Wednesday night was no more than “a pushing war.”

The N.B.A. did not see it that way and announced that Rondo would be suspended two games. It was Rondo’s third suspension in less than 10 months, and the prevailing thought was that he would get at least three games, perhaps five. The lead official, James Capers, said Rondo was the undisputed instigator in the fracas, which involved several players. The 6-foot Rondo shoved the 6-foot-9 Humphries after Humphries fouled Kevin Garnett. Humphries was called for a technical for contact after the whistle.

Garnett was fined $25,000 and the Nets’ Gerald Wallace $35,000 for their roles in the melee.“I thought the play on Kevin was a malicious play,” Rondo said Thursday at the Celtics’ practice facility before the suspension was handed down. “I got hurt last year on a similar play — a guy going up in the air, defenseless, on his way down. I just pushed Humphries. I didn’t try to start a riot. I don’t think it was more than a pushing war.”

Rondo, Humphries and Wallace were ejected from the game, which the Nets won, 95-83, their second victory over Boston in 13 days. Rondo and Humphries were determined by the officials to be fighting, leading to automatic ejections. Wallace and Garnett picked up technicals for jostling in the scrum. Wallace was ejected because he had picked up a technical foul 33 seconds earlier for complaining about a non-call on Rondo.

Celtics Coach Doc Rivers blamed Humphries, saying: “The foul was what precipitated everything. That started it.”

Garnett criticized Humphries during an appearance on WEEI. “Dude’s always been known to be out of control,” Garnett said. “He’s always tried to play the tough guy or whatever role you want to do it.”

It was the third suspension for Rondo since Feb. 19, when he was suspended for two games for throwing a ball at the official Sean Wright during a game at the Palace of Auburn Hills. He also was suspended for one game in the first round of the 2012 playoffs for bumping the referee Marc Davis in Game 1 at Atlanta.

Rondo will miss Friday’s home game against Portland and Saturday’s game in Milwaukee. Both teams have difficult point guards — the rookie Damian Lillard and Brandon Jennings.

Asked Thursday about having difficulty controlling his emotions, Rondo said: “I play with an edge every night. That’s what separates me from a lot of guys. I’m not going to let them take that away from my game. I didn’t do anything dirty.”

The ejection also ended Rondo’s streak of 10-plus assists at 37, tied for second in league history. He had three against the Nets.

The Celtics, from General Manager Danny Ainge to Rivers to Garnett, went out of their way in training camp to say that the time had come where Rondo was the undisputed leader of the team.

He has been the undisputed offensive leader for years. But he also can be high maintenance, and his prickly relationship with Allen (which had once been rock solid) was one of the reasons Allen signed with Miami.

The Nets’ manhandling of the Celtics prompted Rivers to say: “We’re a soft team right now. We have no toughness.”

Howard Beck contributed reporting.