It started with a scramble for a loose ball between Luguentz Dort and Cedi Osman, but soon other players, including Kevin Love, were in the mix.
After the referee blew his whistle, Dort threw an elbow that caught’s Love’s shoulder — and Love reacted.
The referees reviewed the play and gave Love a common foul and Dort a Flagrant 2 — and ejection — for his reaction.
Is that worthy of an ejection? It’s an intentional elbow after the play, it’s unnecessary, and it’s a Flagrant 1 without question. But to be a Flagrant 2 it has to be “unnecessary and excessive,” and while Love thought it was excessive, I would question that. It was a frustration elbow to the shoulder, it wasn’t Grayson Allen taking down Alex Caruso.
The NBA league office can lessen the foul to a Flagrant 1, but doesn’t often do so.
The Cavaliers went on to win the game 94-87, but lost Lauri Markkanen to a sprained ankle, and he could be out for an extended time.
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