The NBA has suspended Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young for their game against the Boston Celtics on Friday, the league announced on Thursday. Phoenix Suns center Alex Len and forward Marcus Morris will also receive fines for their roles in the scuffle, via an NBA press release:
Nick Young suspended 1 game for punching Goran Dragic
The Lakers will be even more undermanned than normal on Friday against Boston.
Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sport
Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young has been suspended one game without pay for throwing a punch at Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic with 7:33 remaining in the second quarter of the Lakers' 121-114 loss to the Suns on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at US Airways Center, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.
Suns center Alex Len, who was ejected for his Flagrant Foul 2 against Young, has been fined $15,000. Suns forward Marcus Morris has been fined $25,000 for escalating the altercation.
After a hard foul from Len, Young sprung up from the floor, upset. When several Suns got in between Young and Len, Young threw a punch at Phoenix guard Goran Dragic:
Dragic wasn't upset about it when asked about the incident on Thursday, calling Young's punch "a friendly tap." Young was upset that his teammates didn't get involved, but Los Angeles guard Kendall Marshall rightly pointed out that Young's ill-thought-out actions left the Lakers with only seven players, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin:
“I understand where Nick’s coming from, he did get fouled hard and it wasn’t a basketball play by any means but at the same time, we got to understand our numbers [of available players on the roster] and sometimes you just got to win some and lose some,” Marshall said. “I don’t know if that was the smartest play at the time.”
Unfortunately, this all means the banged-up Lakers will be even more shorthanded than normal when they face the Celtics on Friday.
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