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LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. was sent off late in the first quarter of Game 6 on Sunday for a flagrant foul 2 committed against Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, a continuation of the heated rivalry that has raged. developed between the two players in their first Western Conference. -round series.
As Doncic drove to the basket, Morris hit him on the right side of the head with 1:07 left in the quarter, causing Doncic to crash into the court. Morris looked at Doncic while he was on the ground, and Doncic stood up to face him before the players and coaches separated them.
“I think he got thrown out because he’s Marcus, to be honest,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth during the band interview after the first quarter. “I thought he made a play with the ball and his hand kept going. It happens in every game. We can’t worry about it.”
Morris, who has been the Clippers’ main defender over Doncic in the series, had nine points on 4 of 5 shooting in Game 6 before being sent off.
Sources told ESPN the Mavericks believed Morris intentionally targeted Doncic’s sprained left ankle twice in Game 5 on Tuesday, a notion that Rivers called “absolutely absurd.”
Morris flatly denied that he intended to step on Doncic’s ankle early in the third quarter, when he jogged from the left wing after a basket made by the Clippers and stepped on the back of Doncic’s leg while waiting for an on-field pass. . The Mavs also requested that the league office review an unauthorized landing space violation by Morris on a Doncic triple in the third quarter, when Morris slipped his foot under Doncic while he was airborne.
“Someone would really like to try to defend myself against intentionally trying to hurt another player,” Morris said Wednesday. “I rely on respect, morals, and hard work, and my family watches [me play] this game. I approach this game with the utmost respect for each player. I have been in many battles with great players and not once have I tried to do anything dirty in terms of removing a player from a game. … Luka is a great player for years to come, but to try to disrespect my character, I felt the need to talk about it. “
“One thing I’m not is a dirty player,” Morris added. “And I hang my hat on being a hard worker. I’m a respected man in this league and I hope people look at that and know me for who I am and I would never go that far, trying to hurt someone. I just think that’s absurd. and it’s too far. “
Doncic did not directly accuse Morris of being dirty, though he raised his eyebrows and asked a reporter what he thought of Morris stepping on his injured ankle, saying he didn’t care for an explanation from an opponent who had been exchanging garbage talks throughout. the Serie.
“I don’t want to talk to him,” Doncic said after Game 5. “He’s saying a lot of bad things to me throughout the game. I don’t want to talk to him. I just want to move on.” . As I say, everyone is going to have their own opinion. I just hope it wasn’t intentional. If it was intentional, that’s really bad. “
