Here is what the rulebook says about the determination of whether a player gets a suspension.

The League Office will consider the following factors (as well as any other relevant facts and circumstances) in determining whether to classify a foul as Flagrant “1″ or Flagrant “2″, to reclassify a flagrant foul, or to impose a fine and/or suspension on the player involved:

1. The severity of the contact; 2. Whether or not the player was making a legitimate basketball play (e.g., whether a player is making a legitimate effort to block a shot; note, however, that a foul committed during a block attempt can still be considered flagrant if other criteria are present such as recklessness and hard contact to the head) 3. Whether, on a foul committed with a player’s arm or hand, the fouling player wound up and/or followed through after making contact; 4. The potential for injury resulting from contact (e.g., a blow to the head and a foul committed while a player is in a vulnerable position); 5. The severity of any injury suffered by the offended player; and 6. The outcome of the contact (e.g., whether it led to an altercation).

Now, I’ll go over the six factors individually.

1. Severity of the contact – Granted, Garnett’s elbow wasn’t the fiercest of hits.  But, um, it was a flush elbow to the jaw.  Bad for Garnett, I’d say.
2. Whether or not the player was making a legitimate basketball play – Considering that play was stopped and Garnett was standing out of bounds, I’m going to have to say that his elbow did not constitute as a legitimate basketball play.
3. Whether, on a foul committed with a player’s arm or hand, the fouling player wound up and/or followed through after making contact – Did Garnett wind up? I’m not sure I’d classify it as a windup, but there sure was some intent behind it.  Garnett looked over his shoulder, lined up Richardson’s jaw, and hammered it with his ‘bow.  Not much of a follow-through, though, so the style points were a little low.
4. The potential for injury resulting from contact (e.g., a blow to the head and a foul committed while a player is in a vulnerable position) – I’m going to go out on a limb and say that any time you hit someone in the head, there is a possibility that an injury will result from the contact. Sorry, KG.
5. The severity of any injury suffered by the offended player – This is the one that looks best for Garnett.  Not only was Quentin Richardson uninjured by the blow, but he also was fine enough to continue chirping after the game.
6. The outcome of the contact (e.g., whether it led to an altercation) – Another damning rule.  The elbow didn’t result in a full-on brawl, but it certainly elevated the scuffle to the next level.

All of which leaves Kevin Garnett resigned to a fate that may not include playing in Game Two.

“You make your bed, you have to lay in it,” he told the Boston Herald. “So if I have to deal with it, then it is what it is. I’m just smarter than that. Composure is everything in the playoffs. . . . I have to keep my composure in a situation like that.”