Cleveland Cavaliers: Serge Ibaka at fault in fight with Marquese Chriss

The Toronto Raptors’ Serge Ibaka is mostly to blame for the fight with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Marquese Chriss. Let’s break down why.

Heavyweight bouts are a rarity in today’s NBA. Most tussles turn out to be empty slap fights as opposed to real fisticuffs. It’s quite embarrassing to watch two uber-talented, Goliaths slug nothing but air in the heat of confrontation, but even worse to watch the “hold me back!” fights that everyone knows are going nowhere.

The brawl between the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Marquese Chriss and the Toronto Raptors’ Serge Ibaka, however, was a real battle royale, and the Cavs newcomer should shoulder little of the blame.

Before we dissect the duel and determine fault, it’s important lay out how we found Chriss and Ibaka in the first row of photographers, exchanging blows like Ali and Frazier.

Our first warrior in the ring is Chriss, a former top-10 pick attempting to resuscitate his career in Cleveland. The lean wing is playing for a payday and lumbering through March after a stellar first couple weeks with his new team.

Then there’s Ibaka, the sometimes overly physical big man unafraid to throw around his muscle, of which he has plenty. So the desperate Chriss tangles up with the volatile Ibaka, and the big man tumbles to the hardwood.

If there is an inkling of blame to put on Chriss, it results from what comes next. With Ibaka sprawled on the floor, Chriss appears to trash talk the fallen forward. On the surface, this might merit some smaller form of retribution, especially since we don’t know what was said. According to The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon, it didn’t sound like much.

In any case, Ibaka flopped, and if you get called out for purposely flailing in hopes of drawing a foul, you forgo your right to respond to the likely trash talk that is to follow (again, depending on what was said). That’s probably on page one of the trash talk rule book.

From the account of Cleveland.com‘s Chris Fedor, it appears like that’s what happened. Ibaka skies for the ball, purposely tumbles looking for a whistle.

“Battling for position with Chriss, Ibaka flopped to the floor, hoping to draw a cheap foul,” Fedor wrote. “The refs didn’t buy it.”

If that is true, case closed. Ibaka is in the wrong. Yet, it’s difficult to clearly conclude what Chriss shouted by just reading quotes from postgame interviews.

In speaking with the Toronto Sun through the team, Ibaka noted Chriss said something to set him off. Danny Green noted the moment had been building with the two getting tangled earlier in the game. Marc Gasol mentioned “emotions build up and sometimes explode.”

But no player really faults Chriss for the initial contact or defends Ibaka for the fall. Then, as Chriss  strolled to the sideline, Ibaka blitzed him from behind, clasping his throat and unloading a haymaker.

Surely Ibaka’s right fist would have clubbed Chriss’ head clean off his spine had he not ducked. Somehow, the Cavaliers forward not only avoided decapitation, but managed to attempt a punch for good measure.

The tangled mess was quickly cleaned up by mostly Cavs players. Otherwise, Ibaka could’ve had a second go at Chriss.

Cavaliers interim head coach Larry Drew avoided giving his scorecard, but clearly this fight was started and nearly finished by Ibaka. He overreacted to what appeared to be warranted trash talk and violently ambushed Chriss from his blind side.

His version of the chokehold may be illegal in MMA fights, let alone the NBA. Ibaka looked like he was about to power bomb Chriss through a table. The Undertaker would’ve been jealous of whatever Ibaka was trying to do.

Chriss’ punch was more in self-defense then going on the offensive. His basic human instincts took over. It was fight or flight for Chriss, and you’re not flying with 240 pounds of man muscle holding onto your jugular.

Maybe Ibaka was angry and tired, in the second game of a back-to-back. Maybe he suffered momentary PTSD from the years of horror at Quicken Loans Arena, since Toronto is 2-13 in the gym because of LeBron James. Maybe Ibaka just snapped in the heat of the moment.

Whatever the reason, Chriss deserves a lesser penalty for this altercation. The majority of the fault lies with Ibaka, whose fisticuffs, sadly, overshadowed Cleveland’s best performance of the season.