The Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic game produced a bizarre royal rumble scene on Friday night that resulted in five players’ ejections.
During the third quarter, when the Magic were leading by 10 points, their center Mohamed Bamba came off the bench and started wrestling with the Wolves’ guard Austin Rivers. The brawl resulted in them being ejected from the game, along with two other Timberwolves and one Magic player.
The Magic were able to get the last laugh as they held the 7-point lead till the final whistle at the target center, which made the score 120-127.
What are the consequences faced by Mo Bamba, Austin Rivers, and other ejected players?
On the following day, the NBA sanctioned the suspension of the ejected player as expected. Joe Dumars, the executive vice president, revealed the suspensions for Bamba, Rivers, and the Magic’s guard, Jalen Suggs.
The 7-foot center got the maximum four-game suspension for instigating the physical altercation coming off the bench. For their roles in the brawl, Timberwolves Austin received three games and Magic’s Jalen received one game.
The following was released by the NBA: pic.twitter.com/ViRlfqh31l
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 5, 2023
Among the other two ejected players from the Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince, only 22-year-old small forward McDaniels was fined $20,000 for his role in the incident.
The suspended trio will serve their punishment without pay, as per Vice President Dumars.
The Magic are the 13th seed in the eastern conference, whereas the Timberwolves are the seventh seed in the western conference.
The Magic will face the Hornets, Knicks, Nuggets, and Heat without their center and guard. The Wolves, on the other hand, will face the Nuggets twice and the Jazz once without the 30-year-old guard.
What’s your take on the sentence declared by the NBA? Will their team struggle without them? Leave us your comments down below.
