“We don't want to be in a position where we're determining any outcome of a series.”

That’s the line from NBA Master of discipline, Stu Jackson on Tuesday night following his suspension of Amaré Stoudemire and Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns. Coming off the bench after Robert Horry's forearm shiver to Steve Nash at the end of game four of the Suns' Western Conference semifinal against San Antonio has put them on the bench for game five.

And the Suns in deep doodoo.

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Horry got two games for his flagrant foul, but the Spurs won’t be dead in the water without him, seeing as he’s averaging 4.8 points a game – and his teammates can pick up the defensive slack. The Suns on the other hand are in BIG trouble losing their leading scorer and rebounder and his backup for a pivotal game five.

So why this decision then? If Stu and the NBA didn’t want to be in the position where they were determining a series - then why are they? After all, isn’t it up to them?

It’s not like this has never come up before in the NBA. It’s the tenth anniversary of the most hilarious brawl in league history after all. Remember Jeff Van Gundy riding the foot of Patrick Ewing? Jackson doesn’t it seems. Ewing, along with Allan Houston, Larry Johnson and John Starks left the bench after a fight broke out between Charlie Ward and Miami's P.J. Brown during the 1997 Eastern Conference semifinals.

All four of the Knicks players received a one-game suspension, however since a team needs a minimum of eight players suited up in a game, Ewing and Houston were suspended for the next game, and Johnson and Starks sat out the game after that. Who sat when was determined by alphabetical order.

Creative or what! Problem is, somehow Stu forgot the league already had made that a precedent.

Not surprising I guess, considering the highlight of Jackson’s career previous to joining head office was to suck so large at being a team’s GM, he not only drove that team from its home town, Vancouver, but from an entire country, Canada, as well.

Had the NBA paid any attention to the policy they had already set, Diaw would be benched for game five and Stoudamire for game six. Still painful for sure, but certainly less than fatal.

Then there is the question of Tim Duncan. Why won’t he be sitting? It turns out he left his bench during game 4 as well. Duncan, along with Bruce Bowen wandered onto the floor after teammate Francisco Elson was inadvertently undercut by the Suns’ James Jones while hanging on the rim after a dunk. The Suns pointed out that Duncan jumped off the bench and walked onto the court with Bowen following him to get him back on the bench.

The Suns had presented the tape in the hope that Duncan’s transgression would discourage the NBA from suspending Stoudemire and Diaw or else would get Duncan suspended as well. Petty? Ya – but these are desperate times. Stu didn’t fall for it saying Duncan “should not have been on the court,” But, “There was no altercation.”

There was no altercation with Stoudemire either. He never made it to any of the Spurs player as his teammates and coaching staff held him back.

Being prevented from getting into an altercation is an altercation in itself?

Is Stoudamire guilty of intent to altercate? Apparently the NBA thinks that is a crime worthy of suspension.

“It's not a matter of fairness; it's a matter of correctness. And this is the correct decision at this point in time,” said the Stu-ster.

Yet he followed that up with this:

“Certainly we will take a look at possibly tweaking the rule.

Then this:

“The rule is the rule and we intend to apply it consistently, as we have in the past.”

Three contradictory sentences in a row… after perhaps sentencing the Phoenix Suns to playoff death.

In all fairness – Stu Jackson is an idiot.

Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch