Mo Bamba, Jalen Suggs ejected from Magic-Timberwolves after on-court scuffle

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs and big man Mo Bamba were ejected from Friday’s road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves for their roles in the fight that took place between the teams during the third quarter.

Late in the third, Bamba — who wasn’t in the game at the time and was sitting on the Magic’s bench — and Austin Rivers threw punches at each other near the Magic’s bench.

Bamba declined to speak about the on-court altercation when asked by the Orlando Sentinel, saying “I have nothing to say.”

Rivers addressed the altercation postgame.

“I just heard language behind the bench, or on their bench, but it was just about one dude,” Rivers said. “He had said something the play before as well. I’m not really gonna get into what he said, I’m not gonna snitch on the dude or whatever, but I just didn’t like the way he was talking to me.

“For no reason, too, I don’t even know that dude, I don’t know anything about him. Obviously, I just know he’s a player for the Magic. And he proceeded to talk, so that next possession, when I went down there, I just said, pretty much, ‘Just keep it respectful, bro.’”

The scuffle carried onto the court, with Suggs grabbing Rivers by the neck and pushing him on the ground to break up the fight.

“That’s what bothered me the most, that’s the only thing that’s kind [of] hurting right now is somebody came and grabbed me by my neck,” Suggs said. “That’s a big no, no. And then I was on the ground for whatever time. I don’t know, it was chaos. I don’t really have too much to say.

Multiple players and Magic coaches got involved to break up the altercation.

Bamba, Suggs, Rivers, Taurean Prince and Jaden McDaniels were the five players ejected as a result of the scuffle.

A few moments before the fight, Rivers missed a 3-pointer in front of the Magic’s bench. Bamba and Markelle Fultz were seen reacting to the miss.

“Nothing,” said Fultz, who was sitting next to Bamba before the altercation. “Just really, [Rivers] shot a shot in the corner. Talked normal trash, nothing disrespectful or crazy. And [Rivers] obviously took it very [sensitively]. Next thing you know, he came back and I see him on the sideline. That’s really it. The rest was what it was. We just kept everybody on the bench and let the security do their job.”

Fultz was seen making a face after Bamba apparently said something to Rivers, but didn’t comment on what Bamba said.

Kevon Harris tweeted: “All [Bamba] said was “This ain’t high school no mo” when [Rivers] missed the 3.”

“People talking trash when somebody shoots on the side,” Fultz said. “We were just having fun, talking [trash]. Same stuff they do on their side. I don’t know if it was something that [Rivers] has been dealing with or something, but he got extremely mad and that’s what he chose to do to retaliate. I don’t think Mo did anything crazy or said anything crazy. It [was] normal trash talk on the bench, having fun and that’s what it turned into.”

Bamba stuck his tongue out at Rivers after making his comments.

“[Rivers] was just looking towards the bench and that’s when you probably [saw] Mo stick his tongue out,” Fultz said. “He looked back at the bench, Mo stuck his tongue out and that’s why I had the look too. Like ‘ooh’ because I could see the anger [on] Austin’s face. That was pretty much it. Me personally, I did not expect that reaction coming back down [the] court.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.

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