Cleveland Cavaliers’ veteran Tristan Thompson rushed into the team’s 131-108 victory over the Toronto raptors on Wednesday evening.
The longtime center, which has an average only about 7.8 minutes per game these days, marked a last second dunk at the end of the eruption victory. Fans of Raptors hué Hue Thompson as he retreats to the field. Some raptive players also set on to Thompson’s face once the buzzer was rang to report the end of the game.
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Tristan Thompson de Cleveland Cavaliers, # 13, has words with the Raptors of Toronto in a NBA basketball match in Toronto on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press via AP)
The skirmish was broken, but the Raptors head coach Darkakovic described the last-minute slam as “disrespectful”.
“I think what Tristan did, there was no class and disrespectful,” said Rajakovic. “I’m not going to defend that, that’s for sure. I love it when my team defends itself. It was not a class.”
The Raptors Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead guards were one of those who faced Thompson. Barnes refused to comment after the match, but Shead agreed with Rajakovic.
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Cleveland Cavaliers Center Tristan Thompson, # 13, Dunks The Ball against the Raptors of Toronto during the second half at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on February 12, 2025. (Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn)
“What he did at the end of the match was a bit disrespectful towards the basketball game, not only us,” said Shead. “We have had a few words of choice. We are adults, we will go.”
Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell was seen with his hands above his head with disbelief after Thompson’s dunk. Head coach Kenny Atkinson did not have many answers for this.
“I don’t know what he thought,” said Atkinson. “Sometimes, however, you play the game and you just have a reaction. I know with Tristan, there is no bad intention there. I think that sometimes you play and that the goal of the game is to score. Unfortunate.”
From left to right, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley in Toronto, sit on the bench during the second half of a basketball match of the NBA against Cleveland riders in Toronto on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press via AP)
Thompson, which is Canada, has raised four points in four minutes. He has an average of 1.7 points and 3 rebounds per match in 28 games this season.
