Warriors' Davis says media overreacted to Fisher incident
League disciplinarian Stu Jackson tagged Davis with a post-game flagrant-2 foul, which would have meant automatic ejection had it been called during the game, but carries with it no automatic suspension — leaving Golden State's starting point free to play in Tuesday's Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series.
"I think it's fair. I didn't intend to hurt nobody out there — especially a good friend in Derek Fisher," said Davis, a former teammate of Fisher's with the Warriors. "But it's playoffs. There is a lot of contact going on. And I think a lot of times the media and people who have nothing to do with the game overreact, because they're not in it."
Davis avoided significant punishment despite claims by the league during the regular season that it was cracking down on shots to the head.
"It was a relief," Davis said, "but I didn't think that I was gonna get suspended anyway. I didn't feel that I should be suspended anyway."
Fisher gave Davis the benefit of the doubt afterward, saying that even if it was a cheap shot he did not think Davis intended to hurt him.
Davis on Tuesday thanked Fisher for his remarks.
"I appreciate Derek Fisher being a man and standing up and speaking out on it," he said.
Fisher on Tuesday reiterated that he had no reason to believe Davis was trying to injure him.
"I think the game is played at too intense of a level and too emotional of a level to be able to, after a game, go back and judge what a guy's intention was at one play during the point of a game," he said.
Fisher even suggested he preferred that the league not suspend Davis.
"I don't really get into playing NBA security and deciding on suspensions and those things — fines, or whatever," he said. "I've never gotten into it.
"There have been some physical plays and things that have been questionable in terms of intent (during the series)," Fisher added, "but I've just always been one of those guys that have felt like, at this level, when you're trying to become the best ... I want to play against the best team and the best players out there, so that when I win a championship there won't be any excuses."
All that said, Fisher suggested — when asked — that he's never whacked anybody in the head during his lengthy NBA career.
You can be the first to comment on this story.