Ron Artest discussing the physical play and controversial calls that took place during Wednesday’s game 2 between Houston and Los Angeles. For those who may not know, Kobe and Artest got tangled up underneath the basket, both battling for position. It looked as if Kobe’s elbow hit Artest in the throat. Artest complained to the refs, who proceeded not to call a foul or stop the game. Artest then ran to Kobe and pushed his face nearly against his, letting him know how he felt on the altercation. Artest was separated from him, but Artest continued to plead his case. Then he got ejected.

Here are Ron Artest’s quotes from his post-game interview as aired on TNT with several questions coming from reporter Craig Sager.

“I knew I was gonna get a technical foul, you know? The point was to really, hopefully, let the refs know I’m pissed. I’m getting tired of this guy elbowing me. I think, through my whole career playing this whole game, I don’t think I ever elbowed him. One time he came at me, we got in a tussle, but I don’t think I ever threw a elbow at his face. Sometimes he played well against me, sometimes he didn’t. It was fair in square. I knew I went over there, no punches, no shoves to the face, just confrontation, and I backed off. So that’s a technical foul, I would think. An ejection, I didn’t go there with the intentions of being ejected. I went there with the intentions of just telling Kobe, ‘You gotta relax. You hittin’ the wrong person. Don’t you know you’re hittin’ Ron Artest?’”

“I’m not retaliating. I didn’t retaliate then. I didn’t do nothing the get ejected — a technical foul, yes. I’m not retaliating. I did that already. I done did that stuff when I was in high school, back in my neighborhoods. I did it when I was early in the NBA. I’m done with that.”

“We’re physical. We’ve been physical. We’re giving our best, so we’re gonna continue to give our best. So I think we’ve been physical. I’m naturally physical. How much more physical can it get?”

“I remember when I used to play back home in the neighborhood. It was always games like that. I remember one time, one of my friends, he was playing basketball and he was winning the game. It was so competitive, they broke a piece of leg from a table and they threw it. It went right through his heart, and he died — right on the court. So like, I’m accustomed to playing basketball really rough. When I came into the league, that’s how I was accustomed to playing. I’m used to fighting on the court, and that’s how I grew up playing basketball, and then it took me a lot of years just to really back off and understand that that’s not what the league’s about. The league’s different. So know this year, I played fair in square. I lose fair in square, and win fair in square. The first time I put my arm on Kobe, he touched it. You see your man and the ball, it’s basic defense. He hits my arm down, and I tell the ref, ‘Look, he’s hitting my arm, you can’t do that.’ You can touch your man, see the ball and see the man. It’s basic defense, and then he did it again. He did it again. I told the refs, ‘You gotta control this.’ And then he throws an elbow right at my neck . I told Kobe, ‘You could do whatever you wanna do. I’m not reacting.’ I’m gonna let the refs control it . What am I gonna do out there? Continue to get hit?”

“Even game one, he elbowed Shane. I think the league says, ‘He was just trying to get up.’ But in game one, he clearly was over aggressive on Shane. And my team, we’re not like that. My team, we’re gonna win fair in square, or lose fair in square. We’re not gonna fight. We’re not gonna initiate anything.”

Kobe Bryant

“I disagree with that. I don’t think he should have been ejected. We were just both fighting for position.”

Here’s another Ron Artest quote from these playoffs:

Tech fans will finally get their chance to rush the court this season.

Voskuil is one point off his career high with 29 tonight.

I’ll be back later in the game.

Mike Singletary just hit a layup inside to put Tech up 10 points.

Tyshawn Taylor scored a layup on a fastbreak, Tyler Reed hit a 3-pointer, and Marcus Morris put in an offensive rebound to make it 57-54.

But Nick Okorie drained a three from the corner, putting Tech back up six points.

On KU’s next possession, Morris was called for a technical after yelling at the referee (inadvertent probably).

Voskuil hit both free throws for the technical.

On top of that, Okorie gets free throws for being fould by Morris, and he sank both. The sequence of events, put Tech up 64-54 with 7:42 to go.

John Roberson hit a layup, Mike Singletary made a bucket inside, Voskuil hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Singletary split a pair of free throws to put Tech up 52-43 with 12 minutes to go.

KU coach Bill Self just picked up a technical for yelling on the sidelines.

Voskuil made both free throws, putting Tech up 54-43.

The turnovers have picked up for the Red Raidres though. They have 15 in the game and six in the second half so far.

Meanwhile, KU has missed seven of its last eight shots, and Self has shown some frustration, obviously. (see above)

Voskuil continues to inch to his season and career highs. He has 24 points with his career high being 30 against Kansas State last year and his season high of 28 points coming twice this season.

Remember, if KU loses this game, it does not clinch the regular Big 12 Conference season title. The Jayhawks would be tied for first with OU.

The second dunk came when KU’s Cole Aldrich was double teamed, he took a dribbled and found a cutting Brady Morningstar in the lane. Aldrich threw him a quick pass, and Morningstar quickly sent a touch pass to Morris’ way, and he jammed it with authority.

It’s a game again, Tech leads 39-32.

Going back to last half,, Kansas is on a 11-2 run.

Tech in a little foul trouble at the moment.

John Roberson has three fouls, as does Nick Okorie.

No one on KU’s roster has more than two.

Voskuil has a game-high 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting (4-of-7 from 3-point range) and helped Tech jump out to unexpected leads early in the first half.

But Voskuil has had some help, shooting-wise, from the field and the 3-point line.

Senior Rogdrick Craig has a 3, John Roberson has one, and Mike Singletary has hit both of his attempts.

At one point, Tech hit six consecutive 3-pointers, extending its lead to 27-14 with 10:13 to go.

Several minutes later, Voskuil hit a pair of free throws to give Tech a 17-point lead over the Jayhawks. KU’s Travis Releford hit a jumper on the next possession to start a quick Kansas run.

On Tech’s next seven possessions, the Red Raiders went 0-for-5 with two turnovers.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks pulled to within 11 points, and the scored stayed that way until halftime. Although KU missed its last three shots of the half, ending the Jayhawks’ hopes of narrowing that lead just a little more.

Surprisingly, Tech has outrebounded KU 21-15 so far. The Jayhawks are first in the Big 12 in rebounding margin.

A little sidenote, Tech football coach Mike Leach strolled into the game midway through the first half while Tech’s Nick Okorie was shooting free throws. He took a seat next to Tech Chancellor Kent Hance about three rows behind the Tech bench. Students cheered for Leach as he walked in front of them, putting his guns up with both hands.

One problem, Leach got the crowd pumped up while Okorie was in the middle of free throws.

Come on Mike, pay attention to the game.

Okorie hit his free throws, so no biggie. I thought it was funny.