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During the Cleveland Cavaliers 128-120 over the Houston Rockets, center Tristan Thompson tried to end small forward Trevor Ariza career with a vicious headbutt/elbow.
Maybe that hit wasn't that rough, but seriously now what was this, a 1980s playoff game?
After the game on Rockets.com, Ariza had no ill-will towards Thompson.
"I think it was a headbutt," Ariza said, "but it's all good, it's part of the game."
Ariza may not complain about the foul but go back and look at the video and tell me that is not a fineable or suspension-worthy hit. It was completely unnecessary.
The Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen tweeted that it ended up taking five stitches to close the cut underneath Ariza's eye.
The non-foul would end up keeping Ariza out for nearly the whole third quarter, and while they didn't lose the game then, it surely didn't help not having him in the game during that stretch.