The NBA is reviewing the flagrant foul called on Dirk Nowitzki Monday night when his right arm caught Andrei Kirilenko around the neck and slammed him to floor. Kirilenko had to go to the hospital and will be out at least a week with a sprained hip.
Nowitzki, who said the foul was not intentional and said he felt badly that he injured Kirilenko while trying to stop him from getting an easy basket underneath, could face at least a one-game suspension.
And at least one player hopes the league follows through with the punishment. The Rockets' Tracy McGrady on Tuesday said he thinks Dirk should be suspended.
"That was a pretty hard foul," McGrady said. "Not only that, to slam a guy to the ground like that, it was a hard foul. It should have been a flagrant-2."
Asked if he'll be broken-hearted if Dirk is suspended for the Mavs-Rockets game on TNT Thursday night, McGrady chimed in: "Yeah, I will. I want them to be at full strength...You see the smile, right?"
As for Mavs coach Avery Johnson, he said Wednesday that the league is reviewing a part of that foul, likely the way Kirilenko was dropped to the floor. A league spokesman said no ruling has been made as of yet.
"Hopefully," Johnson said, "they'll give us an answer sooner rather than later."
-- Jeff Caplan
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