Shaw Is Suspended for Leaving Bench

Two or three steps cost the Lakers the services of backup guard Brian Shaw in one huge playoff game.

On Saturday, the NBA suspended Shaw for today’s Western Conference final series Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers and fined him $2,500 for taking several steps away from the bench area and toward the Rick Fox- Scottie Pippen altercation in the fourth quarter of Friday’s Game 3.

“I don’t really have anything to comment on because I’m still in shock or confused or whatever from what the suspension is about,” Shaw said before the Lakers’ practice on Saturday and only a few minutes after being told of the penalty.

Shaw conceded he moved toward the pushing at the scorer’s table (and was quickly dragged back to the bench by Ron Harper), but said that he should not have been suspended because Pippen had called a timeout and he was only on the court to meet his teammates as they came off the court--as is allowed.

“I didn’t run off the bench to what was going on with Rick and Scottie; I was already on the court,” Shaw said. “And then I did take a couple of steps over in that direction to see what was going on, because the last thing I remember was, it was a timeout called.

“And now, getting suspended for a game in the Western Conference finals. . . . I’ve never caused any trouble, never done anything. I didn’t go over there in an aggressive manner and now I’m getting penalized for being on the court already when there was a timeout called.”

Laker Coach Phil Jackson noted that NBC replayed the reaction of the Laker bench to the Fox-Pippen incident and wondered if that’s what drew the league’s attention.

“I’m unhappy about it,” Jackson said. “It’s obvious that you don’t know what happened at the other end of the floor, the camera wasn’t on their team. The announcer, Doug Collins, made a mention of Shaw stepping out toward that.

“It was a timeout, you’re allowed to be on the floor because there’s a timeout. But I think he took two steps toward what was going on, like he had interest in it. The league has to be very cautious about what’s gone on in the past.”