If Dexter Pittman had done what he did to Lance Stephenson on the street instead of on the basketball court, he’d be facing felony assault charges.
As it is, Pittman’s cheap shot in the waning moments of Miami’s Game 5 beatdown of the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night is certain to earn him a multiple-game suspension. (On the Artest scale, this one is worthy of a 10-game suspension, IMHO, because of the degree of premeditation).
If you haven’t seen the foul in question (or Udonis Haslem’s flagrant foul), or read what Larry Bird had to say about his team (he called them “soft”), click here for a looksee at the video and what some of the nation’s best basketball writers had to say about the physicality of the game, and the lopsided outcome.
What should we expect in Game 6?
I make my prediction in the above video with CineSport’s Noah Coslov, and we also look ahead to tonight’s Game 6 of the Celtics-76ers series, where Allen Iverson may make a guest appearance (in the stands, not in uniform).
I guess you don’t know the elements of assault. He might be liable for battery, but not assault.