Though the highlights of last night’s Spurs 108-101 victory over the Suns are chock full of knees hitting Groinoids and eyes being raked, Greg Popovich scoffs at the series’ physicality (“we’re right up there with the Raiders and the old Pistons, no doubt about it,”) and the dominant Tim Duncan is equally dismissive of such talk. Best of all, reprobate Bruce Bowen is reduced to taunting the general public, aided and abetted by the San Antonio Express News’ Mike Monroe.

Nash, Bowen said, was crowding him, giving him no room to move. Bowen pivoted, and when he did, the unfortunate contact took place.

“He was crowding me, and in this game you’re taught to get people off of you,” Bowen said. “If someone is taking up your space, you have nothing to do. But with all the stuff that is going on with (me), I’m sure that will end up on YouTube.”

Bowen said he apologized to Nash for kneeing him and assured him he had no intention of hitting him where he did.

“I said to him, ‘Now, Steve, you know I didn’t try to knee you there,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, absolutely'”

Perhaps learning from Rick Pitino’s mistake in taking the Celtics job before the lottery took place, the Daily News’ Mitch Lawrence reports Larry Brown’s interest in the Memphis job is dependent on whether or not the Grizzlies win the chance to draft Greg Oden or Kevin Durant.

It’s neither a good nor a bad thing that one of CSTB’s half dozen Canadian readers happens to be a CBC reporter who almost got into a fight with Charles Oakley. But I thought you’d like to know, anyway.