Stunned, poor Nick Richards remained on the ground for a few seconds, in the middle of the racket. In the middle of the second quarter of the match between Cavaliers and Hornets, Marcus Morris elbowed the inside opposite.
After reviewing the images, the referees sanctioned the Cleveland player, whose reputation for unfriendly gestures is well established, with a flagrant level 2 foul, synonymous with expulsion.
“ I just wanted to be physical. As I told the player (Richards), I didn't try to hurt him. I'm just trying to set the tone. You cut after the screen in the racket, to catch lobbed passes, we try to stop that kind of thing “, Marcus Morris defends himselfwhose gesture inevitably stopped Nick Richards in his tracks, who had just played the “pick-and-roll” with Brandon Miller.
Coincidence or not, his expulsion was followed by the awakening of his team, which finished the first period with a 14-point lead, compared to only 2 units at the time of the nudge. The Cavaliers, still deprived of Donovan Mitchell, who had to react to this weak opponent, 24 hours after their heavy 37-point defeat against the Heat in Miami.
Ready to iterate as needed
Holder of a ten-day contract in Cleveland, Marcus Morris sought to send a message to his team and the rest of the league. “ There are a lot of tough matches, I wanted to toughen us up. We must face the situation by telling ourselves that this is what is expected of us in the future, and not just today. This is about setting a precedent for the playoffs. We're not going to let just anyone come here and do whatever they want », thunders the interior, which therefore looks ahead to the rest of its adventure in Ohio.
Author of 3 points in eight minutes last night, he explains again that he did not seek to be expelled, but only put “ a little spice » from the interior opposite, who started the meeting better than he finished it.
Happy with the way his team reacted, the veteran, who averaged 9 points since his arrival before this match, already warns: “ If I have to knock someone down every game to get them to react like that, so be it. » His opponents and the referees are warned…
