In Game 5 of the first round series between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, Goran Dragic slapped Ben Simmons' head right after the whistle. Was it inadvertent or intentional?
Below is a gif posted by Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports:
Goran Dragic asked Ben Simmons, "What did the five fingers say to the back of your head?" pic.twitter.com/7w8XCALOcm
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) April 25, 2018
It seems that Dragic wasn't able to stop his momentum completely. When the referee blew the whistle, his hand came flying off right in Simmons' head. So given these assumptions, maybe Dragic meant no harm.
But isn't Dragic an elite athlete? So stopping right on the dime should be a walk in the park for him. And besides, they are in the playoffs. Players feel a bit more agitated and competitive. They would do anything to get the advantage.
And if the Heat fail to win this game, it's bye-bye to them. The Sixers have a commanding 3-1 lead but the Heat will not go down without a fight.
Dragic got a technical foul after the incident. He got frustrated with the call. Again, it's one of those situations where players get too competitive that their body seemingly throws out jabs or punches without them thinking.
It was a good thing that Simmons did not retaliate and let the referees do their job. It's another class act from the wunderkind. Rather than engaging in a fight, Simmons knows that they have nothing to lose at this point. The Sixers have the advantage. All they need is to execute play after play. Before they know it, they're on their way to the next round.
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