Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fell down in a heap after New York Knicks big man Bobby Portis knocked him on the head in mid-air while attempting a lay-up.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, KCP thought that Portis just made an honest play on the ball and didn't really have any ill intentions to take him down. However, he admitted that he doesn't even want to see the sequence that led to his hard fall.
Caldwell-Pope said he thought Portis was trying an honest defensive attempt but admitted he had not seen the replay of the sequence.
“I don't want to see it at all,” he said.
Fortunately, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did not suffer any injuries from the spill and was cleared of any concussion-related symptoms. In fact, KCP admitted he was already feeling great even prior to returning to the floor and his performance upon his return showed just that.
Caldwell-Pope scored eight more points after returning; he finished the contest with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
“I was feeling great before I even came back on the court,” he said.
Caldwell-Pope drove to the basket on a fastbreak layup attempt before the Knicks big man smacked him right on the head as he wildly swung for the ball. Unfortunately for KCP, Portis did not hit his target and instead, his forearm landed on the side of 6-foot-5 guard's head.
Caldwell-Pope stayed on the ground for quite a while as LeBron James and Rajon Rondo confronted the 6-foot-10 standout from Arkansas. The referees reviewed the play and assessed a flagrant foul penalty 2 on Portis, consequently ejecting him out of Tuesday's contest.
Portis said after the game that he did not have any ill intentions towards KCP and even apologized for the dangerous play. LeBron James, however, disagrees.
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