Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry was trying to keep it to himself, literally.
Gentry felt ill after eating a grilled artichoke and dip at a downtown Los Angeles restaurant Thursday afternoon and was caught by television cameras throwing up along the Phoenix sideline several times during the Suns heartbreaking 103-101 loss in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
"I told them not to bring that trash can out to the bench area because I know every camera in the world would be on me if I threw up," Gentry said. "I really was trying not to do it as much as I possibly could."
When told that cameras had actually captured him throwing up into the trash can along the sideline, Gentry was surprised.
"They did?" he asked. "Oh, well, just tell everyone that it was Kobe Bryant making me sick."
Gentry said he received an IV at halftime of Game 5 and felt better almost immediately.
"It's very similar to college,'' he joked. "Once you get it out of your system, everything's OK. It's like a Friday night, you know, frat party."
Ramona Shelburne is a columnist and reporter for ESPNLosAngeles.com.