Events in Madison Square Garden tend to get excellent coverage, so I'll assume you have heard the basics. For instance, Chris Sheridan was there (with extensive video):

The Knicks were angry the Nuggets still had their starters in the game in the final two minutes despite a double-digit lead, including a 119-100 advantage when Collins committed his foul.



"They were sticking it to us pretty good, really giving it to us. J.R. had one dunk where he reversed and spun in the air, and Mardy didn't want to see that happen again in front of our fans," Thomas said.



Smith immediately jumped up and challenged Collins, and the fracas escalated when Knicks guard Nate Robinson ran into the fray. About 15 seconds after the initial foul, as players from both teams were clustered along the baseline just a few feet from Garden owner James Dolan's seat, Anthony threw what appeared to be a sucker punch at Collins, decking him.

OK, OK, I know there is etiquette in the NBA. One of the rules is that you don't leave your starters in to humiliate the other team. Seems like making a mountain out of a molehill to me, but OK, that's the rule, and Nuggets violated it.



What is the appropriate punishment for that? What pound of flesh do the Knicks need to go home with their pride intact? Perhaps a Mardy Collins hard foul is appropriate. I don't get it, nor do I like it, but OK. Athletes have their code.



But it's risky and a little stupid. Hard fouls can be taken the wrong way and get out of hand (see Hills, Auburn). We all know that. And please, Isiah Thomas and others, let's not pretend that having some starters in the game late deserves the melee of thrown fists that ensued (and how about that Nate Robinson tackle?) . And let's not pretend that the underlying cause here was a breach of etiquette in leaving starters in. That was a misdemeanor that should have passed without making the news. What went wrong here was a series of really stupid overly aggressive mistakes on the part of players who should have known better.



This incident will probably pass without damaging the league too much, but it's not just an "oops." It's the kind of thing the league and players certainly can't afford to have happen very often. It really does hurt ticket sales, TV ratings, and the ability of most people to look up to these players.



And every now and again, after something like that, I'll hear some racist crack. Racists are always waiting for an opportunity to paint the NBA as a bunch of out-of-control black players. It kills me to have these highlights all over the TV, knowing racist idiots in sports bars somewhere are seeing them and feeling vindicated.



This kind of stuff costs the players and the league dignity, trust, and respect. Those things are essential to a good life, and they're hard to earn back.



UPDATE: This is one of those days when NBA.com loses all credibility as a news organization. Click over to NBA.com and it's like "what massive fight in the world's most famous arena?"



I can imagine the phone call now. "Hi, Billy King? It's Commissioner Stern. How you doing? Got some good holiday plans? Neat! Umm... listen, a little favor... any chance we could make something happen on the Allen Iverson front maybe like today? Sure would be nice to see Sportscenter lead with some Iverson highlights instead of that Carmelo Anthony haymaker..."



UPDATE: This is some fantastic video. Nate Robinson and JR Smith waltzing together. See, every cloud has a silver lining...