Rumble in the Garden

After that massive melee at Auburn Hills back in 2004, and the punishments thereafter, I would have assumed that there weren’t going to be any major fights in the NBA anytime soon. I guess I’ve been proven wrong as punches were thrown, players were tackled, and teammates had to be restrained in New York City’s Madison Square Garden earlier tonight. In what started off as the Nuggets slowly pulling away quickly escalated as Mardy Collins of the Knicks took JR Smith down with a hard foul to the neck area. Minutes later we have 10 players thrown out of the game including the league scoring leader (Carmelo Anthony), four other Nuggets, and five Knicks. Check out the video for yourself and draw your own conclusions:

What next?

Both teams have a one day break before games Monday night so expect punishments to be dealt before the next game. Although the fight wasn’t nearly as severe as the confrontation in Detroit a couple years ago (which involved players going into stands to beat up fans), I doubt David Stern will take this incident any differently as it does indeed tarnish the image of the NBA.

Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts that came to me when I first watched the replays:

1. I am so damn screwed for two of my fantasy leagues, I got Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith, and Marcus Camby on them…
2. and where was Kenyon Martin in all of this? Now shit would have really hit the fan if he was involved.
3. and when did Carmelo Anthony become such a pussy? He sneaks up on a guy, throws a punch, and runs away…
4. Are the Knicks kidding me? So the Nuggets kept their starters on late in the game. Are you seriously gonna bitch about it or play some damn defense?