Basket Brawl! Chris Paul, Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo Suspended, Fined Following On-court Fight – WATCH

*We previously reported that Lakers PG Rajon Rondo and Rockets Guard Chris Paul got into it Saturday night at Staples Center late in the 4th quarter.

via Yahoo Sports, here’s what went down:

In LeBron James‘ first regular-season game in Los Angeles as a Laker, Brandon Ingram shoved James Harden after the reigning MVP argued a foul call. Rondo and Paul started to argue, and Rondo punched his counterpart after the Rockets point guard put his hands in Rondo’s face.

As a result of the melee, CBS News reports that Ingram, Rondo and Paul have been suspended without pay, with Paul taking the heaviest financial hit. Ingram was suspended four games, Rondo will sit out three games and Paul two games.

Paul, who has the highest salary of the trio, was fined $491,782. Rondo will be docked $186,207, while Ingram’s total is $158,816.

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Houston coach Mike D’Antoni disagreed with the severity of Paul’s penalty.

“It’s just not equitable,” he said. “If you wanted to suspend him one (game) I get it, just to make a statement. Then you’re talking monetarily, he’s paying three times more than the other guys are paying for missing games? That doesn’t seem to be right.”

via cbsnews.com:

Rondo was suspended for instigating a physical altercation with Paul, and spitting and throwing multiple punches at the Rockets star. Paul was suspended for poking at and making contact Rondo’s face and throwing multiple punches at him.

“What is he supposed to do? Just stand there and get spit on and then take a punch in the face and say, ‘Well, that’s OK,'” said D’Antoni, who called Rondo’s spitting “pretty disgusting.”

“In the heat of the moment when somebody does that, that’s tough, that’s really tough,” D’Antoni said.

Does Rajon Rondo Intentionally Spit in Chris Paul’s Face? Watch for yourself below:

Apparently, there’s more to the story than what we saw on the court.

via Complex:

NBA analyst Shams Charania reported that someone from Rondo’s family went after Chris Paul’s wife, Jada, in a confrontation. The family member said some inappropriate comments to her after the fight, which pissed off Paul even more according to Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen

The altercation came following the tense closing minutes. Rondo was coming to the defense of Brandon Ingram after he pushed reigning MVP James Harden in the back. Paul, who appeared to be wiping his face prior to swinging on Rondo, says the Lakers guard incited the altercation by spitting on him. However, Lonzo Ball, claims the altercation began because Paul touched Rondo’s face. Regardless, the NBA is now investigating the incident and is expected to deal suspensions to both sides before Rockets-Clippers game on Sunday night.

Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: Along with Chris Paul/Rajon Rondo altercation in Lakers-Rockets, one of Rondo’s family members confronted Paul’s wife, Jada. NBA investigating tonight’s on-court altercations ahead of Rockets/Clippers on Sunday.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 21, 2018

Chris Paul was still so angry after the game, multiple individuals said, because a member of Rajon Rondo’s family made “inappropriate” comments to Paul’s wife, Jada, in the stands after the altercation.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) October 21, 2018

“We don’t want this to happen again,” said NBA executive vice president Kiki VanDeWeghe, who handed down the penalties. “(We are) sending a clear message that this is not acceptable behavior and you cannot do this. So in this particular instance, the multiple-game suspensions are pretty severe both to their teams and financially to the players.”

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