The Toronto Raptors could be pretty shorthanded against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. Already potentially down Kyle Lowry due to a bruised tailbone, another key starter is hitting the shelf for the marquee showdown.
Serge Ibaka has been suspended one game, the NBA announced Wednesday.
The suspension stems from an incident in the third quarter of the Raptors’ loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday. During a mini-Raptors comeback, Ibaka and James Johnson got into it, eventually leading to shoves and what the league deemed to be thrown punches. Johnson has also been suspended one game.
Ibaka was interviewed by the league office by the time Wednesday morning rolled around, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet, and he had sounded hopeful after the game that he’d be able to plead his way out of losing games.
“We were both trying to be physical. We overdid it,” Ibaka told The Athletic after the game. “In the moment, sometimes you cannot control. But I did the best I could to not really punch him in the face, to not really throw a punch. Because the moment (we shoved each other) it was too late, I got ejected. I did my best to not to punch, to not throw a punch in the face. I tried the best I can. I’ve been there before. It can cost you two, three games suspension. I tried my best I could to avoid that. He threw my hands away, and then I pushed his hands away. He elbowed me in the chest and I elbowed him back in the chest. There was no punch, nothing like that.”
The Raptors surely hoped that Ibaka could avoid suspension, too, though nobody had reviewed the film yet to determine either way as of media availability last night. Everyone also knows Ibaka’s history, which includes a one-game suspension for trading swings with Robin Lopez last year, a fine and flagrant for hitting Blake Griffin in the groin in 2012-13, and maybe the recent suspension from his own team.
Obviously, the Ibaka loss is huge up against the visiting Cavaliers. With Lowry potentially out, too – he’s currently listed as questionable – the Raptors could be down two of their top three weapons. How the Raptors start will be interesting. C.J. Miles would offer more spacing and offensive juice, and the Cavaliers only start one traditional big in Kevin Love. But with LeBron James around, the Raptors may prefer another defender there, opting to start Pascal Siakam and letting him and OG Anunoby take turns switching James and Jae Crowder. Whatever they do, it’s a big loss.
DeMar DeRozan was also interviewed by the league office about a post-buzzer exchange with Goran Dragic, again per Grange. This was much less severe, with the two being separated quickly and the worst of it being DeRozan extending an arm to possibly grab Dragic’s jersey. He even seem perplexed after the game by what happening, noting he had no issue until Dragic eye-balled him. DeRozan also has less of a history.
As a result, DeRozan was only hit with a $25,000 fine with no suspension. Dragic received $10,000.
Isaiah Thomas, by the way, was fined $20,000 for his clothesline on Andrew Wiggins the other night. No suspension there, so the Cavaliers will have him available Thursday.
