Rondo Should Be Suspended, But He Won’t Be

April 29th, 2009 by Andrew Wamboldt

With the Bulls down 106 to 104 in overtime against the Boston Celtics, Vinny Del Negro ran a brilliant play, finding Brad Miller for a wide open path to the basket for a layup. Miller’s layup was derailed when Rajon Rondo smacked him across the face, sending Miller to the line for two free throws, as a personal foul was assessed on Rondo. Miller missed the first free throw, and the game was over.

Rajon Rondo was not making a basketball play. He was about 3 feet away from making contact at the ball. Rather, he was just taking a free shot at Miller’s face. The foul deserves a flagrant foul call, and should have been called a Flagrant-2.

If the referees called a flagrant foul, the Bulls could have subbed Tyrus Thomas in for Brad Miller, and sent Ben Gordon to the line, who likely would have made both free throws to tie the game at 106. Then the Bulls would have the ball, with a chance to win the game, and if they missed, the game would go into a second overtime period.

Rather, the Bulls were left in an impossible circumstance. Either choose between Brad Miller, who is normally a good free throw shooter, but who had to shoot the free throws with a gash in his lip, and the fumes of the compound used to stop the bleeding, or let the Celtics pick who gets to shoot the free throws in Miller’s place. With that, the Celtics could have sent a poor free throw shooter, such as Aaron Gray to the line.

The referees blew the game. The Bulls wouldn’t have necessarily won this game, but they were put in a bad position because the refs failed to make the proper call on the court, which was a flagrant-2 foul.

The league office should do what is right, and raise Rondo’s foul to a Flagrant-2, and suspend Rondo for Game 6, but they won’t. And that’s just how things are in the NBA, and the Bulls will have to fight through the Celtics physical play.