Mutombo scoffs at Shaq's flop accusation
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PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia's Dikembe Mutombo said he's got the scars and defensive accolades to prove that he doesn't fake fouls, a "stupid" accusation the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal made after fouling out of Game 3 of the National Basketball Association Finals.
"If I had been flopping I would not win as many trophies as I won in my career. How am I going to flop if I have a couple of stitches in my mouth?" asked Mutombo, this year's NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time winner of the award. "It was stupid to say that."
O'Neal fouled out late in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's win over the 76ers that gave the defending champions a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is tomorrow in Philadelphia, also site of Game 5 on Friday.
Two of the fouls called against the 7-foot-1, 330-pound O'Neal, including the sixth and final one that sent him to the bench, came at the offensive end when he was being guarded by Mutombo.
"Am I the referee?" Mutombo asked. "He don't foul out if he didn't do anything. He did something."
After the game, O'Neal said it was a shame that the referees allowed Mutombo to sucker them into making such game-altering calls by acting like he was fouled. O'Neal didn't soften his stance yesterday.
"I said what I said and I meant what I said," said O'Neal, who is averaging a team-leading 34 points a game so far in the finals. "Foul unto others as they foul unto me."
O'Neal has an unlikely supporter in Philadelphia's Matt Geiger.
Geiger, a reserve center, said he and several teammates who were on the bench were surprised at some of the fouls being called on O'Neal, last season's league MVP.
"The last three calls were kind of iffy," he said.
Mutombo said O'Neal's comments were probably caused by frustration.
O'Neal had a relatively easy time in the first three rounds of the playoffs, facing little opposition from opposing centers who didn't have the size or strength to stop him.
"It was like a walk in the cake," said Mutombo.
Mixed metaphors aside, the 7-foot-2 Mutombo is contributing on offense as well as defense. He scored 23 points in Game 3, most while being guarded by O'Neal.
"He hasn't met so many people that can guard him like I've been guarding him," Mutombo said. "When you're playing against somebody that's bothering you, not just defensively, but also on the offensive end, trying to get all those offensive rebounds, it kinds of frustrates you."
Mutombo insists that he still respects O'Neal. However, their friendship might have to wait until after the series is decided, he said.
"Sometimes you lose your friends in the middle of the battle," Mutombo said. "You forget who are your friends."
Philadelphia's George Lynch, out since breaking his left foot on May 13 against Toronto, said yesterday he will be ready to play against the Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals tomorrow night.
"I'm rushing back because my team needs me," Lynch said. "It's not about the finals. Guys are out there playing hurt. That's what this team is all about."
Lynch's return will add to Philadelphia's list of walking wounded. Eric Snow is playing with two chip fractures in his left ankle and probably will have surgery after the season. Aaron McKie has a chip fracture in his right ankle, Mutombo has a broken pinkie and Allen Iverson has numerous bumps and bruises.
"George brings so many intangibles to our team," Snow said. "He's a guy who can defend three different positions, is an excellent rebounder, runs on the break, finishes, does all the little things that people don't account for on the stat sheet."
