The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to make it a 4-0 series sweep of the Boston Celtics on Sunday, but they are getting messy in the process with some dirty plays.
First up was reserve center Kendrick Perkins on his return to Boston after spending eight years with the franchise which also included a championship win.
However, he was given a volatile reception after this was repeated on the big screen as he grabbed Jae Crowder by the neck on a screen and as the pair came head-to-head shortly after, he threw out a jab at his face.
Incredibly, Perkins remained in the game as he was assessed with a flagrant foul, but while he stayed involved, JR Smith wasn’t as fortunate as Crowder again drew the ire of the Cavs team.
As the pair battled in the paint for a rebound, Smith inexplicably threw out an arm behind him which caught the Celtics star clean in the face and sent him to the floor.
While he wasn’t assessed with a concussion, he did suffer a knee sprain which ruled him out of the rest of the game as Smith was ejected and can now expect to be suspended for the next game.
Cleveland are likely to go on and secure the win that they need on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, but this kind of play surely won’t do them any favours in terms of the chances against likely opponents the Chicago Bulls or their reputation as a whole.
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