Rockets/Lakers - Where Amazing Happens

I was inspired to post this night by the glorious whistle-fest currently going on in L.A. If you like cowardly cheap shots and unbalanced athletes threatening the life of superstars, you should have watched this game. Here is a recap:

1. Luis Scola and Lamar Odom get tangled up and start jawing. Luke Walton sticks up for his buddy and gets in Scola's face, probably saying something to the effect of, "You can't win. You know that, don't you? It doesn't matter if you whip us, you'll still be where you were before, at the bottom. And we'll still be the lucky ones at the top with all the breaks. It doesn't matter. Greasers will still be Greasers and Socs will still be Socs. It doesn't matter." Technical fouls all around.
   
2. Derek Fisher lays a crack-back block on Luis Scola. That's not even legal in the NFL. Flagrant 2, he has been ejected. It was a cowardly hit and L.A. fans shouldn't expect him to be playing in Game 3. He leaves the court smiling; Laker fans take a time out from their tall mocha latte and Blackberrys to cheer him as he walks away.
3. Kobe Bryant throws a nice little elbow to Ron Artest's neck. Artest is called for the foul... and the meltdown is on. Artest first walks over and gets in the refs face, Technical #1. Artest then walks over to Kobe and gives him a little love tap. I'm no lip-reading expert but it looks like he says, "Hit me in the throat again, other trucker." Kobe puts on his best smile, you know, the one that makes me want to kick him in the face. Artest is pulled away from Kobe and makes some sort of throat slashing gesture, Technical #2. Kobe is not shown but I'm guessing he is no longer smiling. We know that Artest means business. 5 different teammates and a coach try to get Artest to leave. Detroit/Indiana II is avoided, Artest has left the building. TNT needs locker room cams.
4. Kobe makes a shot and gets T'd up for politely letting Shane Battier know that he can't guard him and probably shouldn't be trying so hard. Battier grins as Joey Crawford calls the technical.
   
5. The Lakers pull away. Series tied at 1-1. Predictions? Derek Fisher will not play in Game 3. Artest will do something very stupid at some point in the series. I'm not liking Kobe's chances of escaping this series unharmed.
   
6. The Lakers have assembled a murder's row of hateable players. Bryant, Vuja-chick, Odom, Gasol, Fisher, Farmar, Walton, Phil Jackson...
   

Final tally: 6 technicals, 1 Flagrant 2, 2 players ejected, 1 life threatened. This is going to be a fun series.

-PSon (biased blogger)