First got here the boos, then the back-and-forth, some shoving and an accusation of getting “no class.”
An in any other case mundane Wednesday evening win by the mighty Cavaliers over the lowly Raptors in Toronto delivered some juicy postgame content material after Tristan Thompson dunked with 4.1 seconds remaining and the Cavaliers nursing a 21-point lead of their 131-108 win.
“What Tristan did there was no class and disrespectful,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned after falling to 17-38. “I’m not going to face for that, for certain. I’m actually glad our guys, our gamers, from Jamal (Shead), he was on the court docket, and Scottie (Barnes) and everyone else, they stood up for themselves. I really like when my workforce stands up for themselves. That was no class act.”
Thompson, in his fifteenth 12 months within the league, seemingly ought to have identified higher than to take the gimme dunk with the Raptors having waived the white flag in a blowout.
As an alternative, whereas going through little resistance from Toronto’s defenders, he drove the ring and rose for a dunk, which instantly elicited some boos.
Thompson walked towards his bench earlier than turning round and heading again within the path of a number of Raptors, with Shead, a rookie from Houston, jawing at him.
“What he did on the finish of the sport was just a bit bit disrespectful to the sport of basketball, not simply us,” Shead mentioned, per ESPN. “We had a few selection phrases. We’re adults, we’ll transfer on from it.”
A number of Raptors then came visiting — together with Barnes — and pushed Thompson away and even Rajakovic received the center of the mini-fracas, yelling on the veteran large man.
A Cavaliers staffer and a referee ultimately pushed Thompson away.
Toronto’s Scotiabank Area has the identical entrance for each groups, which resulted in Thompson ready somewhat bit whereas the opposing and upset gamers left the court docket.
“It’s type of an unwritten rule to not do this on the finish,” former Knicks star R.J. Barrett — now with the Raptors — mentioned, per ESPN. “Jamal did what he’s imagined to.”
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t have any rationalization for Thompson’s actions.
Thompson completed with 4 factors in 4 minutes, and is averaging 1.7 factors throughout 28 video games.
“I’m undecided what he was pondering,” Atkinson mentioned. “Generally, although, you’re enjoying the sport and also you simply have a response. I do know with Tristan, there’s no dangerous intention there. I feel simply typically you’re enjoying and the aim of the sport is to attain. Simply made a layup. Unlucky.”
The Cavaliers enter the All-Star break with one of the best document within the Jap Convention at 44-10, sitting 5 1/2 video games forward of the reigning champion Celtics.