Mo Bamba suspended 4 games, Austin Rivers 3 for brawl

Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba was suspended four games without pay and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Austin Rivers three for their roles in Friday night’s on-court brawl that resulted in four ejections.

The NBA also suspended Magic guard Jalen Suggs one game and fined Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels $20,000. Suggs was suspended for escalating the altercation.

The discipline was handed down by the NBA on Saturday night, February 4 (Sunday, February 5, Manila time).

The incident occurred with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter of Orlando’s 127-120 win over the Wolves on Friday.

Rivers was in front of the Magic bench when Bamba came off the bench and started swinging. Rivers threw punches back. Suggs grabbed Rivers aggressively around the neck, flinging him to the floor. McDaniels pushed Bamba in the back, further escalating the incident.

All four players were ejected.

Bamba then “attempted to continue to engage with Rivers in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms where he also aggressively shoved a security representative,” per the NBA release.

Bamba will begin serving his suspension and Suggs will serve his one-game suspension on Sunday, when the Magic visit the Charlotte Hornets.

Rivers will also begin serving his three-game suspension on Sunday, when the Timberwolves host the Denver Nuggets. – Rappler.com