With two of the Eastern Conference’s top five teams facing off on Tuesday, the matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat was expected to be hotly contested as both squads want to send a strong message to their conference rivals. It lived up to the hype as the game turned out to be a very physical contest right from the start — just ask Serge Ibaka and James Johnson.
That said, tensions were high as no one gave an inch to their opponents. However, emotions got the best of Ibaka and Johnson at the 7:50 mark of the third period, when the two big men came to blows with both of them throwing punches at each other. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and they were separated immediately.
Ibaka isn't new to tense moments like this one, while Johnson is no one to back down either — he's a martial arts black belter.
I'm not messing with James Johnson. I'm not messing with Serge Ibaka. Catching hands from either man is a death sentence. pic.twitter.com/qSK2pGK9Rq
— Adam (@AdamJoseph____) January 10, 2018
To no one’s surprise, Ibaka and Johnson were both ejected from the game. The Raptors and Heat veterans could be dealt with a hefty fine and even a suspension from the league office for their actions. Ibaka and Johnson were clearly seen with closed fists during the exchange, which will surely not be missed once it is reviewed by NBA officials.
It can be expected that the review and possible reprimands will both be released on Wednesday as the NBA is quick to come up with decisions when it comes to altercations on the court.
The game ended with the Heat prevailing over the Raptors, 90-89, DeMar DeRozan led the scoring for both team with 25 points, followed by Goran Dragic who notched 24 points.
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