Dwight Howard’s propensity for giving hard bumps is well-known. So too is Pau Gasol’s propensity to, uh, fall down. So what happens when an unrepentant force meets a highly-moveable object?
Well, if you’re a San Antonio Spurs fan you might say it was a flagrant foul. If you’re an Atlanta Hawks fan, you’d probably say it was a flop.
The hubub began on Sunday night during a game between the Spurs and the Hawks. After a made corner 3-pointer by Gasol, Howard ran down to push for position in the painted area.
Gasol saw the blow coming and braced vertically, while Howard’s shoulder went directly into the Spurs forward’s throat.
That sent San Antonio’s veteran tumbling and the officials to the replay center to determine whether Howard was guilty of a flagrant or technical foul.
After many views of the tape, it was determined to be a common foul and the teams played on.
Howard, meanwhile, could be seen saying quite clearly how he felt to Gasol after the dust settled, “That’s a flop.”
