Gatling, Walker

[jmc@ptc.com (Jonathan McIntyre)]

There was something in the Boston Globe this morning that says Pitino 
reviewed the Celtics' private tapes of the game in slow motion and saw 
that there was no contact between Walker's elbow and Gatling's nose. 
Gatling did a major acting job to play it up.  You could even see that 
on the regular broadcast, that he was overdoing it, and that's what 
Antoine has repeatedly said, too. 

It doesn't surprise me.  I've hated Gatling ever since that night 2 or 
3 years ago when he was on Dallas and kept getting away with little 
fouls against Montross without the officials noticing, until Montross 
lost his temper and took it out on Gatling.  Gatling is the kind of player 
who knows how to get away with fouls and aggressive play that gets under 
an opponent's skin, then when the opponent gets aggressive in return, he 
acts it up and gets the foul call (and that just gets the opponent even 
more frustrated and angry). 

In this sense, Gene Kirkpatrick was right in saying Walker needs to grow up.  
He let Gatling get to him, and fell right into Gatling's plan.  Antoine 
needs to learn that if he wants to stand his ground or send the 
Gatlings/Lambiers of the NBA a message, it has to be away from the
ball, and subtle enough that no one will notice.  He has to control
himself when the ball's in his hands and the attention's on him, especially 
as co-captain.

Jon Mc