Sports

Rondo Vs. Paul

Lakers Rockets scuffle cost both teams multiple suspensions and millions of dollars lost.

Christian Hankins|November 2, 2018

In the 4th quarter at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California a fight broke out between Chris Paul the starting Point Guard for the Houston Rockets, and the starting Point Guard for the Los Angeles Lakers Rajon Rondo. The Fight broke out after a foul was called on the small forward for the Lakers Brandon Ingram. He was called for a shooting foul and shoved the 2017-18 MVP James Harden.

After this Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul got into an altercation and Rondo allegedly spit on Chris Paul and Paul retaliated by shoving his hand in his face initiating the scuffle. Multiple Punches were thrown by Rondo, Paul, and Brandon Ingram who also made his way into the scuffle. After Rajon Rondo was pulled from the scuffle he headed to the locker room knowing he would be ejected for the rest of the game just like Chris Paul who was pulled out from the fight by his good friend on the Lakers LeBron James and Brandon Ingram who were all ejected in the 4th quarter. As said by David Berry who has played basketball for over 12 years know “this was one of the most unsportsman like act he has ever seen in the NBA”.

<span class="photocreditinline">By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (James Harden) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons</span><br /> — James Harden, the 2017-18 MVP, is one of the most talented shooting guards in the league.

The game was a win for the Houston Rockets but also cost both the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers. The score of the game was 124-115 and James Harden had 36 points 11 of which coming from the 4th quarter. It cost the Point Guard for the Houston Rockets a two game suspension and a loss of $491,781 losing 2 games from his 4 year contract of $160 million. The Lakers money lost was much less however the suspensions were longer. Rondo lost $186,207 and a got a three game suspension losing 3 games from his 1 year $9 million contract , while Brandon Ingram lost $158,817 with the longest suspension of four games, losing four games of his 4 year $23 million contract. This puts the Houston Rockets as 12th in the west with a record of 1-2, and puts the Los Angeles Lakers 14th in the west with a record of 0-3 tied for last in the west with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This asks the question will the Houston Rockets be able to win the next two games without their primary ball handler Chris Paul, and will the Lakers be able to perform without their starting point guard Rajon Rondo and their starting small forward Brandon Ingram for the next 3 to 4 Games.