2 Potential Mavs Scrap (...and get suspended)
Monday, January 19, 2004
Associated Press
NEW YORK --Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Utah's Greg Ostertag were suspended for one game by the NBA on Monday for fighting.
Ostertag sat out Monday's game between the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors. Ilgauskas will miss the Cavaliers' game Tuesday night against Seattle.
The two centers tangled near the baseline after Ostertag fouled Ilgauskas in the third quarter Saturday night. Ilgauskas and Ostertag faced off, and the shoving and punching started before the 7-footers were pulled apart.
Ilgauskas said he doesn't have any remorse about throwing a punch at Ostertag. He didn't connect.
"I don't regret it," he said after practice on Monday. "You have to protect yourself. I regret getting thrown out of the game, probably. Sometimes your emotions get the best of you and you can't control it."
Cavaliers coach Paul Silas was pleased to see Ilgauskas take a stand during what had been a very physical game.
"I never want to see anybody get into a fight, but for a guy just to get angry out there and say, 'I'm not going to take it', I think that is very, very significant," Silas said. "Guys have to take up for themselves. That was a hard, hard foul on the pump fake.
"Normally, everything is broken up before punches get thrown. That didn't happen this time."
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