The Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 117-105 on Wednesday night.
Because it was a preseason outing that both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were set to miss, the affair wasn’t initially supposed to be a particularly contentious one.
Suns forward Jae Crowder changed all that.
In the second quarter, with Phoenix up by 20, Crowder seemingly purposely tried to injure Lakers big man Anthony Davis.
The video speaks for itself:
There’s absolutely no one behind Crowder on this play as he speeds up slightly, changes his running angle to be directly behind AD, then:
– Steps on AD’s foot,
– Pushes AD in the lower back with his left hand, and
– Swipes at AD’s right ankle with his right hand pic.twitter.com/jHd9kJy9a9— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) October 7, 2021
Speeding up and changing course to cause the collision and then the ankle swipe with his head up to see the target give it away https://t.co/Y1qQVnLg8o
— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) October 7, 2021
Some have argued that Crowder’s actions were retribution for this dirty play by Davis in last season’s playoff matchup. Others say it was payback for this sequence earlier in the game:
Here’s AD’s kick to Crowder’s groin earlier in the game.
Intentional? pic.twitter.com/BCMHBGBPxl
— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) October 7, 2021
Regardless of what spurned on Crowder’s actions, they are unacceptable. Davis has a history of injuries and what he did could have taken him out of commission for the entire season.
Last year the NBA stood idly by while one player flippantly fractured another’s wrist and did nothing about it. That set a terrible precedent. Will they right that wrong this time around? Time will tell.
McKayla Maroney knows how to go viral. https://t.co/ugyzOr3RqA
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 5, 2021
Related: Kyrie Irving’s 4-Word Response To Nets, Haters
