Los Angeles Lakers win over the Detroit Pistons Sunday featured forward Metta World Peace being called for a flagrant foul when he got tangled up with Brandon Knight.
Although nothing else occurred following the incident, Knight claims that World Peace showed a little too much aggression on the play. Knight spoke with reporters after the game and told them that World Peace threw a punch during the minor scuffle.
"The play needs to be reviewed because he definitely threw a punch," Knight told reporters after the game. "It felt like he threw a punch. That's why I reacted the way I did.
"The play was over and he grabbed me around the neck. If someone grabs you around the neck, you're not just going to let that happen. You do what you need to get that person off you."
When asked if the incident affected his play for the remainder of the game, Knight said:
"Nah, it didn't rattle me," Knight said. "I know what type of player he is. That stuff happens sometimes and you have to continue to be focused." [...]
"If somebody grabs you around the neck for no reason and you feel like they throw a punch ... it's basketball, it gets heated sometimes but you understand that. You have to hold your ground at some point."
Reporters also got to hear World Peace's side of the story in the Lakers locker room.
"He's a small guy," World Peace said after finishing with eight points and nine rebounds in the win. "[Knight] was trying his hardest to keep me off him. He worked hard, man. That kid, I don't know where he's from, I don't know what school he went to, because he was guarding me and I was crashing the boards. He's a tough kid, man. He tried to keep me off the glass and he did a good job. That's all I can say. He's a tough kid, very great. He's a tough point guard or shooting guard or whatever he is."
The flagrant foul was World Peace's first of the season and he has been under control ever since his elbow on James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder at the end of last season.
Los Angeles ended up winning the game by one point, 98-97, and notched its second consecutive victory.
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