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I'm not going to give this much time or effort because frankly it doesn't deserve it. Had the shoe been on the other foot and that been Dahntay Jones missing a final seconds attempt with Kobe Bryant playing tight defense it would have been categorized as great defense. No if it was a Hawks player that was left with an ankle injury it wouldn't have registered as a blip on the NBA's radar.
So a clearly disgusted Kobe complained loudly following the game and then took to Twitter to air his frustrations.
#dangerousplay that should have been called. Period.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 14, 2013
Bryant went so far to say that he would have to wait a year to get revenge on Jones. Yeah I'm sure the league will have a fine ready for that soundbite but I won't be holding my breath waiting.
Jones also took to Twitter to defend himself and the final play:
Tape doesn't lie. Ankle was turned on the floor after the leg kick out that knocked him off balance. I would never try to hurt the man
— Dahntay (@dahntay1) March 14, 2013
So first off you hate to see a player get hurt anytime particularly when it is a good player like Kobe Bryant but what is Jones supposed to do on that final play? Is he not supposed to play defense? Is he supposed to stick his hand up and not leave the floor. Kobe didn't land on Jones' foot so what is all the fuss about? It certainly wasn't a Bruce Bowen-Vince Carter situation. What would Kobe have done in that situation?
The fact of the matter is this. If you are the Lakers then it should have never came down to that situation. A Lakers team that has everything to play for shouldn't be down two points to a depleted Hawks team that is missing two starters. Yet there they were and now all the focus will be placed on that final play. Not how Atlanta outplayed the Lakers for four quarters and how it took a superhuman performance from Kobe Bryant to keep them in the game.
Bryant was mad after the game and yes he had to spout his venom somewhere. He should have looked at the players in his own locker room.
Oh yeah one more thing:
Bad Play for DJ. Walked into KB on the shot.
— Bruce Bowen (@Bowen12) March 14, 2013
If this statement isn't ironic then I don't know what is.