Stan Van Gundy (Once Again): Refs Picking on Dwight Howard

For what seems like the millionth time now, SVG went to bat for his big fella through the press, complaining that he doesn’t get the same kind of treatment other superstars around the League do. From FanHouse: “Howard leads the NBA in technical fouls, receiving his 12th of the season Thursday night, leaving him only four away from an automatic suspension. ‘They (officials) are looking for him, no question. They make a call on him and they are looking for his reaction. Other guys get away with stuff. He’s going to have to accept that, they are looking for him. Every one of them (officials),’ Van Gundy said. ‘For other guys, they look away. He’s not going to be treated like everyone else in the league.’ Howard received the first technical of the game Thursday in the first quarter. Knicks center Amar’e Stoudemire received his in the second period. Stoudemire is second in the league with 10. Late in the game, both coaches were warned by official James Capers that he was prepared to call a second technical, which would mean an automatic ejection, on both stars. ‘He (Howard) got a technical for yelling ‘damn,’ because he was upset at himself. ‘Damn,’ is a technical but bullshit (which is what Stoudemire said to an official late in the game) is not?’ Van Gundy said. ‘Let me get this straight, damn is a technical but bullshit is okay.’ Howard has been struggling with the issue of technical fouls for the past several years. He finished last season with 15, one short of the suspension. If he hits 16, then every second technical foul afterward will result in another one-game suspension.”