If you watched the Los Angeles Clippers' game against the New Orleans Hornets Thursday night (March 22), then you probably saw that hard foul forward Jason Smith inflicted on star Blake Griffin. If not, watch it below.
The play occurred in the second half of the game, when Blake sprinted down the court on a fast break. In an attempt to thwart an easy score, Smith ran up and basically hit Griffin as if he were a linebacker, sending the Clippers star to the floor.
For the collision, Smith was hit with a flagrant 2, which carries an automatic ejection. Blake was ok after, but despite how serious it could've been, Smith left the court to a loud ovation from fans while waving his hands in the air hyping the crowd up.
The NBA announced Friday (March 23) that Smith has been suspended for two games for the hard foul, and will miss the Hornets' home game with San Antonio on Saturday night and Monday night's rematch with the Clippers in Los Angeles.
In announcing the suspension, NBA executive Stu Jackson said the foul involved "excessive contact with the upper body."
After the game, which the Hornets won, Smith apologized. However, he said it looked a lot worse than it really was.
"I think it looked a lot worse than what it was, but that's still not a play that you ever want to do to another player like that," Smith said. "I apologize to Blake Griffin. I didn't want to hurt him at all. I just wanted to try and cut off his lane to the basket."
If you watched the Los Angeles Clippers' game against the New Orleans Hornets Thursday night (March 22), then you probably saw that hard foul forward Jason Smith inflicted on star Blake Griffin. If not, watch it below.
