The Philadelphia 76ers put together a good effort against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday for a win, and Jordan Clarkson didn’t like it very much.
Clarkson, one of the four players who joined the Cavs via trade before the deadline, was ejected just seconds before the Cavaliers lost 108-97. Sixers guard Dario Saric dunked the ball in transition near the end of the game, and Clarkson took exception to it by throwing the ball at Saric’s back.
The stunt resulted in a miniature scuffle between both teams, and Clarkson was sent to the showers early. Below is the video of what happened, per Rob Perez.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/969417132760010757
Perez’s hashtag says it all. The Cavs didn’t play all that well down the stretch and lost a game at home. Saric decided to get a couple of points at the end of the game. And Clarkson, who decided to let Saric score, then hits him with the ball. That’s petty, all right.
There is definitely this unwritten rule that players should not try to score when they can just dribble out the clock at the end of the game if it is already decided. It normally happens, but every now and then a player decides to just get a shot or even just attempt one.
Players don’t like when that happens, but the reality of the situation is Clarkson should not have reacted that way just because he decided that the game was over and Saric decided that it wasn’t. Clarkson is a professional, and he will regret getting himself ejected from that game and fined as a result.