A fight broke out and punches were thrown during Friday night’s game between the Orlando Magic and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Five players were ejected after a brawl that started in front of the Orlando bench late in the third quarter. Minnesota guard Austin Rivers and Magic center Mo Bamba were the initial players involved, and it spread to include several others on the court.
Rivers, Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince were traded out to the Timberwolves. Jalen Suggs was tossed along with Bamba for Orlando, who won 127–120.
Rivers said after the game, “It’s not a good moment for me.” “I’m embarrassed. I’m the oldest on the team. I consider myself the leader of the team or one of the leaders of the team. It was a weird game, and I don’t think it helped. If anything now, So I just (ticked out) that we lost, and it had (something) to do with me. It doesn’t make me feel good.
Bamba and Suggs were not available for comment after the game.
“You obviously want your teammate’s back and at the same time, you have to be a professional,” said Orlando center Moritz Wagner, who was involved in a skirmish with Detroit in December.
“So, it’s a challenge for a young team like ours. I think we’ve done a good job this time compared to last time. So, yeah, I don’t really know. It’s a weird dynamic. You really Don’t want to be in those situations and it’s really not the best look. You want to be professional. Plus, there’s something in me that appreciates a cohesive team like that.”
Wagner appeared to take a knee in that fight with the Pistons in Detroit. Wagner and Detroit’s Kilian Hayes and Hamadou Diallo all ejected.
On this night, the fight started with Rivers right in front of the Magic bench as play was underway at the far end of the court. Bamba came off the bench and Rivera threw punches at him. Suggs later pulled Rivers and swung him on the court. McDaniels and Prince join the scrum.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said, “His guy came off the bench and threw a punch.” “Quite cocky. Then it’s a scuffle, and somehow our guys get pretty bad punishment. One guy got sent for not being a peacekeeper. I just watched the movie, and I was like what their boys were doing and what our guys were doing Didn’t see any difference between what they were doing.
The controversy seemed to stem from conversations on the Magic bench, specifically Bamba. Moments earlier, Rivers missed a 3-point attempt in front of the Orlando bench, and Bamba and Markel Fultz could be seen reacting to the miss.
Rivers said he contacted the 7-foot, 231-pound Bamba about his comments.
“I’m not going to dude or whatever, but I didn’t like the way he was talking to me,” said Rivers, listed at 6-4 and 200 pounds. “Even without any reason. I don’t even know that dude. I don’t know anything about him. Obviously, I just know he’s a Magic player. And he kept talking, so that the next right, When I got there, all I said was, ‘Just keep it dignified, bro.'”
Rivers later said: “I went up to him and I choked him, and at that point, it could have gone one of two ways. I didn’t think we were going to get into a fight. But when you Stands up and puts his hands up – he threw a punch and missed, thankfully. At that point, I have to defend myself. Doesn’t anyone care about that?”
The fight followed a night of on-court brawl between Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Brooks turned and hit Mitchell in the groin area during the third quarter on Thursday after the Grizzlies guard fell to the floor. Mitchell retaliated by throwing the ball towards Brooks and then pushed him.
Both players were ejected from Cleveland’s 128–113 victory. Afterwards, Mitchell accused Brooks of being a dirty player.
The NBA announced punishments for both players on Friday, with Brooks suspended one game without pay and Mitchell fined $20,000.