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The NBA is reviewing whether Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook should be suspended for Game 5 of the series against the Utah Jazz, after the reigning MVP left the bench after Rudy Gobert was fouled hard by his backup, Raymond Felton, according to Andy Larsen of KSL.com.
Trailing by 20 points in the fourth quarter, Westbrook confronted Gobert as he headed back toward his respective bench, though it remains unclear if Westbrook was waved onto the court by the officials or if he pursued Gobert off his own accord.
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Officials were not allowed to comment on the matter, given the league's request to review the incident, which if found true, would result on Westbrook's absence for Game 5.
The NBA has been stiff when it comes to these type of altercations, threatening to suspend any players who leave the bench area.
Intent will not play a factor in the discussion, as the league just wants to keep things from escalating to the point where the man power on the court is too much for officials and team personnel to contain — yet another consequence of The Malice In The Place from 2004.
If Westbrook is indeed suspended before Wednesday's game, it could spell a horrid end to his postseason, failing to shoot over 40 percent from the field in any of his four games throughout this series.
