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The brawl factor emerges in the NBA

The Dallas Mavericks are a rampaging gang o' problems. Costly new acquisition Jason Kidd couldn't look weaker if he was — as so many jocks appear to be this spring — just kicking steroids. And Josh Howard is offhandedly telling the truth, as though Commissioner David Stern doesn't still have a right-wing fan base to massage. (Those "Where Amazing Happens" ad spots are effective, but not that spectacular.)

But none of these woes have affected the Mavericks' series with the New Orleans Hornets like David West's effort to punk Dirk Nowitski. (Man, they don't make white boys like Bill Laimbeer no more!) Dallas is old and perhaps overmatched, but West's deflating gesture set the tone of this 2 vs. 7 Western Conference match-up. Even Kidd's WWE-style takedown of Jannero Pargo could not keep the Mavs from falling back 3-1.

The NBA post-season has been largely defined by play that the analysts are calling "chippy." Washington's DeShawn Stevenson tried to take LeBron James's head off. Denver threw elbows on its way to losing at home to the Lakers. The playoffs, while made up largely of blowout games so far, have felt extremely edgy. Fans too have joined the fracas, brawling in Denver, jawing in Dallas with Mavs owner Mark Cuban on Sunday night, and, in LA, yelling "DUI! DUI!" — distinct from the "MVP!" chant — at the hapless Carmelo Anthony.
(One day we'll have a meaningful conversation in the public space about why athletes think they're above the law.)

On court, the prevailing ethos has been that of streetball, where intimidation can make up for a degree of talent. But that's not how things work in the NBA. No amount of Kenyon Martin elbows are going to make the Nuggets more sleek and powerful than the Lakers. And the Washington Wizards can resort to kick-boxing, but I don't see them having more than, um, a puncher's chance against the Cavaliers. If a team does happen to get lucky and punk a star, maybe they'll win an individual game. But then the actual puncher is suspended for the next game. That's the true reason that series are played in this sport's post-season.

It would be lovely if all the ballers would simply dial things down this spring and play like good boys. That, however, is not something I see happening. We're

only in round one of what has been an extraordinarily contested season. Especially in the West, teams have put together seasons and are not inclined to leave the stage without putting up a fight. They will go the route of literal battle if the roundball version ain't workin' out for them.

Not to get all law-and-order on ya, but Stern deputy Stu Jackson needs to come out strong, and dish out extra-harsh penalties for Stevenson and Kidd. These two are about to be out, so suspension means little. It's time for a real statement. This year's post-season-altering, Robert Horry-style incident may be just a play away.