Los Angeles Lakers forward Montrezl Harrell is still feeling the consequences of the altercation that occurred in the 110-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Harrell had to leave the game in the first quarter after joining the scuffle between OG Anunoby and Dennis Schroder. The German guard committed a common foul on the Raptors forward who, having fallen to the ground, grabbed the Lakers playmaker and threw him onto the floor.
Harrell stepped in pushing Gary Trent Jr. away after the Raptors wingman got involved in the incident. His reaction earned him the ejection and a $20,000 fine, the NBA announced on Thursday. But Schroder said the 27-year-old forward doesn’t need to worry about the charge.
“We’re going to take care of that,” he said. “He had my back, so we’re going to take care of that for sure.”
After the game, Harrell said he couldn’t understand why he had been thrown out of the game. “That’s not the way you do things… It’s wrong,” he said. “I don’t really think I did anything wrong to be ejected, but it is what it is.
“My teammate was sweep from off his feet, one-legged after holding somebody up and dropped on his back, so my beef was with anybody that wasn’t wearing a white jersey.”
And Schroder said he appreciated Harrell’s support after an “unnecessary” provocation from Anunoby, adding that the kind of move the Raptors forward pulled on him belongs in the WWE ring. “With Trezz, I would do the same thing for everyone in this locker room,” Schroder said.
“We’re all brothers, family. After it happened and he got ejected, I went into the locker room during the game and I told him that I appreciate him and I would do the same thing for him. I’m really thankful for that one.”
Frank Vogel: Talen Horton-Tucker’s suspension ‘disappointing’
Besides Harrell, the NBA suspended Talen Horton-Tucker for one game after he entered the floor while the incident between Schroder and Anunoby was unfolding. Head coach Frank Vogel admitted the 20-year-old broke the rules and deserved the punishment.
However, he thought the timing of the NBA’s announcement was problematic. “It’s one of those disappointing things,” he said. “I don’t wish there was a way this league could make this ruling the day after the game instead of the day of the next game.
“It’s a little frustrating to find out after your prep and after walkthrough and everything like that.”
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