During a preseason game in Hawaii between the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz, we had our first kerfuffle of the 2015-16 campaign. Jazz forward Trevor Booker ended up hitting Lakers center Roy Hibbert with an open hand after Hibbert confronted him halfway through the third quarter. That open hand slap by Booker will cost him a game suspension in the regular season, after the NBA punished him on Friday.
From the NBA:
Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker has been suspended one game without pay for striking Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert with an open hand to the head, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
The incident, for which Booker was assessed two technical fouls and ejected, occurred with 7:14 remaining in the third quarter of Utah’s 117-114 win over the Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, HI).
This was the play in which Booker got tangled up with Julius Randle, pushed him away, and then Hibbert stepped up to defend his teammate. Immediately, Booker slapped Hibbert upside his head and earned himself the suspension.
The one thing you'll notice is how amused Jazz guard Alec Burks was during the entire incident. He immediately starts smiling and laughing as he tries to separate Booker from Hibbert to calm down the entire scene.
