Serge Ibaka and Marquese Chriss got tangled during the Cavaliers’ win over the Raptors last night. Ibaka fell to the floor. It seemed like a rather innocuous moment.
Then, Ibaka got up and charged Chriss, fists flying.
Ibaka said it was because of something Chriss said, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. But what could Chriss have said to provoke that?
According to four Cavs sources and one with the Raptors — none of them named Chriss or Ibaka — Chriss said something very close to “quit that [s—].” It could have been an accusation of flopping, or, as one Cav suggested, Chriss didn’t like Ibaka grabbing his jersey.
That sounds more believable than the Cavaliers’ theory, that Ibaka was triggered by losing to them again.
But “quit that [s—]”? That’s such an inoffensive phrase.
Maybe there’s more to this. Or maybe Ibaka was just running that hot.