Ariza Will Not Be Suspended For Flagrant Foul

by Ryne Nelson

When a player gets jacked in the back of the head, tumbles to the ground, ricochets a couple times off the hardwood and gets carried on a stretcher to the hospital, doesn’t that warrant a suspension?

The NBA doesn’t think so: “Lakers forward Trevor Ariza will not be suspended by the NBA for his actions on a flagrant foul Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. ‘Ariza will not be further disciplined,’ NBA spokesman Tim Frank said this morning. ‘We are still looking at the aftermath of the play.'”

The “aftermath” included Lamar Odom leaving the bench, getting testy with Brandon Roy. Odom and Roy built some bad blood nearly a year ago in a match at the Rose Garden when Odom was ejected for flagrantly fouling Roy on a drive to the rim. Regardless of the history, it would mark a serious twist of fate if Odom is suspended for getting into a tussle that his teammate–who got out of jail free–initiated.