Ibaka, Lopez suspended 1 game for fight

The NBA handed one-game suspensions without pay to Robin Lopez and Serge Ibaka for their parts in an altercation during the Toronto Raptors' overtime victory Tuesday over the Chicago Bulls.

Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire also picked up a $15,000 fine for "acting as other than a peacemaker" as he approached Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic during the fracas.

There was a belief in the Raptors' organization that the punishment would be more severe, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports.

Tempers flared when Ibaka and Lopez engaged in some standard bumping and jostling under the basket in the third quarter. Lopez elbowed Ibaka, which was met with an answer. Lopez then swiped aggressively at the ball under Ibaka's arms, which promptly drew a crowd.

Amid that gathering, it was Lopez who threw the first punch that narrowly missed Ibaka's face, before Ibaka sent a right hook that glanced off Lopez's face. The two were forcibly separated before any more punches could be thrown.

Both players were promptly ejected, while Mirotic and Magloire earned technical fouls for their exchange.

Lopez will serve his suspension Wednesday when the Bulls play the Detroit Pistons, while Ibaka will sit out Thursday's showdown against the Miami Heat.