Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dragic reacts to scuffle, ejection
LOS ANGELES — Goran Dragic offered a better defense Saturday than the Miami Heat did in Friday night’s 127-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The video don’t lie,” the Heat point guard said a day after he and Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson were ejected for a scuffle that Clarkson offered the only aggression.
“I was surprised, if I’m honest,” Dragic said after Saturday’s practice, having declined comment after Friday’s loss at Staples Center. “He was the aggressor and I got ejected. I didn’t play the end. But that’s in the past.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was furious after Friday’s game, saying, “Gets an elbow to his face, somebody that wants to fight knocks him down on the ground, and just a bailout, shameful, disgraceful ejection.”
Spoelstra wasn’t backing down Saturday.
“I’m still upset about it,” he said. “We don’t get an explanation. We don’t understand it. There was one guy who threw an elbow, that put his fist up to fight, and we’re the only team that didn’t end of with free throws, and we end up losing our best player. It doesn’t make sense.”
Asked about potential recourse, Spoelstra said, “Nothing. That’s it. You can voice a complaint, but there’s nothing that will come of it.”
Clarkson contended Friday that Dragic landed blows to his stomach and chest. That drew a smile Saturday from Dragic.
“I didn’t do that. If I do that, I would say I did it,” Dragic said. “I’m an honest guy and the video don’t lie.”
Clarkson then took a boxing stance, with Dragic ultimately restrained.
“I was in plenty of fights,” Dragic said. “I was not scared. It is what it is. I didn’t want to fight. It just was an emotional reaction for me, but that’s it.”
Clarkson offered a contrasting spin.
“To be honest with you, just kind of one of those things,” he said. “He was running at me I didn’t know what he was going to do. I kind of put my hands up just trying to defend myself.”
He said he then channeled his inner Kobe Bryant, drawing from his former Lakers teammate.
“I thought back to stuff Kobe told me about when he had an incident,” Clarkson said. “He was, ‘Just, never leave your hands down when you’re about to get into something.’ “ waived in order for the balance of their 2016-17 contracts not to kick in. The actual deadline is Tuesday, but players must clear the 48-hour waiver period by that deadline.
McGruder was the only Heat player without a fully guaranteed contract, with all 14 others already assured of their entire 2016-17 salaries. saw progress. Last night was not progress. We didn’t play well, regardless of whether Goran was in or not.” Waiters,