The word from the NBA office finally came down Tuesday and as expected it came down hard on Metta World Peace and the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA handed down a 7 game suspension to Metta World Peace for the vicious flailing elbow that he landed on the back side of James Harden’s head in the 2nd quarter of Sunday afternoon’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. James Harden suffered a concussion as a result of that elbow and is still listed as day to day. With the Thunder’s playoff position as the #2 seed in the Western conference firmly in place it is unlikely that James Harden will play another regular season game.
Metta World Peace’s 7 game suspension will begin with the Lakers regular season finale at the Sacramento Kings on Thursday and continue into the playoffs.
“The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head area,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said. “We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations.”
If the Lakers are able to hold on to their current #3 spot in the Western Conference it would put in place a potential 2nd round match against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The series will surely be emotionally charged as we will get to see Metta World Peace face up against his victim, James Harden, in a very hostile environment in Oklahoma City which prior to this incident was one of the loudest and most engaged crowds in the NBA.
– Fern Rea “@fullcourtfern”
Raining3s 