The Phoenix Suns escaped in a wild Game 1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Arizona on Sunday. However, tempers flared, and Suns guard Cam Payne ended up being ejected after a scuffle between both teams. After the game, Payne gave his thoughts on the play that led to his ejection in the 4th quarter of the Suns victory.
Cam Payne says he thinks Alex Caruso undercut him first on the play where he was eventually ejected. He regrets retaliating. "I apologized to every single player who walked in (to the locker room." Says he doesn't do stuff like that, and he just cares about winning.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) May 24, 2021
Well, the Suns did end up snagging the victory as LeBron James and company went down. Alex Caruso and Payne got into it, then Montrezl Harrell came in and gave his two cents as the benches cleared.
It was a wild, strange sequence of events in a crazy game. Payne acknowledged the weirdest part of the ejection, and it wasn't his altercation with Caruso.
Cameron Payne said the weirdest part about his ejection was Montrezl Harrell ran up and bumped him. #Suns
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) May 24, 2021
Harrell ran into Payne and got in his face, yet Payne was the one who was ejected. Still, the Suns held off the Lakers, thanks largely to Devin Booker (34 points) and DeAndre Ayton ( 21 points, 16 rebounds). The Suns frustrated the Lakers, especially Anthony Davis, who ended the game with 13 points on just 5-16 from the field.
It remains unclear if any suspensions will be handed on from the altercation, but Payne immediately apologized to his teammates afterward. Either way, the fireworks aren't going anywhere between the Suns and the Lakers and we should expect more altercations going forward.
Game 2 of the series will be Tuesday night in Phoenix before the series turns to Staples Center as the Lakers try and even the series. As for the Suns, Chris Paul should be a go, which is terrific news for them.
Follow Us
Subscribe