Artest is fascinating. he's totally normal most of the time but every once in a while his mind just goes somewhere else and he's totally unconscious of what he's doing. when he gets that deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes, he will do absolutely anything.
I believe him when he says that he didn't mean to hit Harden like that. he was just caught up in the moment, saw someone and just destroyed him. Artest doesn't realize what he's doing when that stuff happens. check out his reaction when the ref tells him he's been ejected. he's totally oblivious.
that said, he needs to be punished. you can't judge intent, only actions.
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xyzzy