The stories: The Raptors’ Serge Ibaka and Heat forward James Johnson have each been suspended one game without pay for their in-game altercation on Tuesday.
Both were ejected afterward.
Johnson will miss Wednesday night’s away game against the Pacers, and Ibaka will serve his suspension Thursday, when the Raptors host the Cavaliers.
Goran Dragic and DeMar DeRozan were also hit with fines from the NBA for exchanging postgame … unpleasantries:
DeRozan, who initiated the shoving, was fined $25,000, and Dragic was charged $10,000 for his role.
Isaiah Thomas closes Wednesday’s repercussions list. After clotheslining Andrew Wiggins on a third-quarter drive, Thomas was fined $20,000 by the NBA.
The importance: The Raptors are without Kyle Lowry, who injured his tailbone on Monday. Losing Ibaka, too, before facing Cleveland, which Toronto leads in the Eastern Conference standings by just 2.5 games, is obviously poor timing.
Miami’s injury list is quite long: Tyler Johnson is questionable for Wednesday’s game in Indiana, and Rodney McGruder, Dion Waiters, and Justise Winslow are all out for at least the near future. The Heat are on a five-game win streak, and at 23-17, might be in the midst of their annual record flip. (In 2016-17, Miami got off to an 11-30 start, then finished 30-11.) Johnson is a crucial bench player (and occasional starter); the win streak might not survive without him.
The takeaway: Channeling my mother here: I hope you all learned your lesson.
