NBA rescinds Flagrant Foul call on Stack. Johnson out at least a week. - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Murphy3 · 05-12-2005, 05:47 PM

Johnson undergoes surgery, to be sidelined for a week

By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
May 12, 2005
PHOENIX (AP) -- Phoenix Suns guard Joe Johnson underwent surgery Thursday to repair a displaced fracture in the bone around his left eye.

The starting guard, who has played in all 287 games since coming to the Suns in his rookie season, will miss at least the next two games of the team's Western Conference semifinal series against Dallas and probably Game 5 in Phoenix as well, Suns president Bryan Colangelo said.

``He underwent reconstructive surgery for an orbital fracture,'' Dr. Edward Joganic, who performed the operation, said in a statement.

``Surgery went smoothly and he is expected to recover fully,'' Joganic said. ``We will continue to evaluate Joe and assess his ability to play in the remainder of the playoffs in one week.''

Colangelo said the team wasn't going to be more specific about how long Johnson could be out.

Johnson was injured when he was fouled by Jerry Stackhouse on a drive to the basket late in the first half of the Suns' 108-106 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The 6-foot-7 guard hung on the rim briefly, then crashed face-first to the floor, and lay there for several minutes while receiving six stitches to close a cut near the eye.

Johnson climbed to his feet and made one of two free throws before leaving the game.

Stackhouse was called for a flagrant foul, but the NBA rescinded it Thursday after reviewing the play.

Teammate Steve Nash visited Johnson in the hospital after the surgery. Johnson, who also sustained a mild concussion, had no memory of the game, Nash said.

``He seemed pretty good this morning. He didn't seem too depressed,'' Nash said. ``His friends and his family were there. His agent was there. He's doing OK. He had a lot of support so he's fine.''

Johnson has averaged 19 points a game in the playoffs, third-highest on the team. He has shot 57 percent from 3-point range (13-for-23), best of any player in the postseason.

``Joe's been an iron man for us,'' Nash said after the Suns practiced Thursday before leaving for Dallas. ``He never misses a practice. He never misses a game. He's been such a huge part of our team. He's had a great year, and he's a great guy. It's really tough for us. We're just going to have to rally together and get it done for him.''

Jim Jackson will move into the starting lineup for Game 3 on Friday night. Coach Mike D'Antoni said the team's biggest concern is for Johnson.

``I think everybody really feels sorry for Joe,'' D'Antoni said. ``We're not down as a team. We know what we can still do, but for probably the nicest guy around, to not be able to participate, we feel sorry for Joe.''

Rescind the damn bad call.

Thespiralgoeson · 05-12-2005, 05:54 PM

hmm, doesn't matter really, but it's good to see the league fess up to a bad call.

Mavs_fun_fan · 05-12-2005, 05:55 PM

Well they got it right, In my view it was a clean block, But it worked out best the way it was called so I'm fine with it. I didn't really expect them to change the call although it was obviouly not a flagrant foul.

Its a shame that Johnson got hurt and I'm sure the Suns will miss his play, but his injury was the result of his mistakenly trying to hang on the basket. When Stack blocked his shot I think he was hoping to hang and maybe put back a rebound. It backfired and now he's out for a t least a week.

kingrex · 05-12-2005, 05:55 PM

oh sweet vindication.

jibikao · 05-12-2005, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Murphy3
Johnson undergoes surgery, to be sidelined for a week

``I think everybody really feels sorry for Joe,'' D'Antoni said. ``We're not down as a team. We know what we can still do, but for probably the nicest guy around, to not be able to participate, we feel sorry for Joe.''

Rescind the damn bad call.

Good to hear that Suns is not down. GOOD. Now, let's unleash your anger on Mavs. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

kg_veteran · 05-12-2005, 07:19 PM

I seem to remember guaranteeing that the league would rescind the call, and I remember some Suns fans telling me that wouldn't happen.

Hmmm...

LRB · 05-12-2005, 07:24 PM

Don't hold your breath waiting the the aforementioned Suns fan to eat crow KG. But you're definitely the man with the prediction. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

ddh33 · 05-12-2005, 07:41 PM

I figured we would get to see something like this. It's the right thing to do. I thought the refs blew that call because they were intimidated and bothered by the blood. I'm glad it didn't hurt the Mavs more.

chumdawg · 05-12-2005, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
I seem to remember guaranteeing that the league would rescind the call, and I remember some Suns fans telling me that wouldn't happen.

Hmmm...

I didn't think it would happen, myself. Just because of how bad the guy got hurt. I could have easily seen the argument that initiating ANY sort of body contact is reckless, when the offensive player is on such a full-out break.

I'm glad they rescinded the ruling. That shows integrity. But even if they hadn't, I still don't mind Stack taking the flagrant there. Just another part of the game...

dude1394 · 05-12-2005, 09:07 PM

What I don't mind is stack RISKING a flagrant to go get that ball. Man up dude, man up. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Captain Disaster · 05-12-2005, 10:49 PM

Just think if the Mavs had lost the game because of that bad call on Stack; the league wouldn't reverse that. I couldn't believe that the officials would pull something like that. No one wanted to see Johnson hurt; it was a freak play that was mainly his own fault.

MavKikiNYC · 05-13-2005, 08:22 AM

Every mention I've seen of the rescindment is buried way down in some article about the Mavs v. Suns series.

Nothing like a press release announcing a reversal of what was a critical system failure, and which could have easily had an unfair effect on the Mavericks.

Repeat: Bavetta and the other officials on the crew should be removed from their next two assignments for a mistake of that magnitude.

jacktruth · 05-13-2005, 08:41 AM

Quote:

``He seemed pretty good this morning. He didn't seem too depressed,'' Nash said. ``His friends and his family were there. His agent was there. He's doing OK. He had a lot of support so he's fine.''

ala Jerry Maquire

Big Boy Laroux · 05-13-2005, 09:22 AM

MavKiki, i am PISSED about that. EVERY article after the game continually repeated that stackhouse comitted a flagrant foul, hard foul, etc. with no mention of Johnson's hanging on the rim being the actual catalyst for the fall. so anyone reading that, without seeing the game, would think stack intentionally injured johnson.

Now we get the call rescinded, and it's buried like a newspaper retraction. that is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous.

kingrex · 05-13-2005, 09:35 AM

Journalists will often stick with the more "sensational" aspect of a story in order to create a reaction from their reader. If there is nothing "sensatonal" about it, then it will be buried. Just the reality of journalism today.

Big Boy Laroux · 05-13-2005, 09:36 AM

i just hope stack doesn't get attached to a stigma of being a dirty player as a result.

and i hate to claim bias, but what if it was Nash that undercut someone or something like that, then the flagrant call was reversed? i guarantee the news coverage would be different. or hell, even if it was reversed and jonson fouled stack.

Simon2 · 05-13-2005, 11:54 AM

That's great but it cost the Mavs two points. They won anyway but for the game, it gave the Suns two more points

Day1MavsFan · 05-13-2005, 12:42 PM

Actually, Stack did body foul him on the play. So, Johnson did deserve the free throws. What they didn't deserve was the possession afterwards. This took a potential score away from the Mavs and/or more time off the clock, hence giving the Suns less of a chance to come back.

Simon2 · 05-13-2005, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Day1MavsFan
Actually, Stack did body foul him on the play. So, Johnson did deserve the free throws. What they didn't deserve was the possession afterwards. This took a potential score away from the Mavs and/or more time off the clock, hence giving the Suns less of a chance to come back.

No. I was tlaking about the free throws for the flagrant.

Day1MavsFan · 05-13-2005, 12:59 PM

???

Two free throws are two free throws, any way you slice it. That's all they got. They called it a flagrant 1, which means they got 2 free throws plus possession. The net difference between that and it not being called a flagrant was the possession.

Big Boy Laroux · 05-13-2005, 01:05 PM

yeah, but he only hit one anyway.

Murphy3 · 05-13-2005, 06:43 PM

bump for the annoying Suns fan.