When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top F1 stories again James had to pull Chris Paul away after a brawl broke out with just four minutes remaining in Saturday night’s match. The superstar is good friends with Paul, and explained that all he cared about through the altercation was just getting the game restarted. The brawl broke out after an incident with Brandon Ingram and James Harden escalated, leading to Paul and Rajon Rondo throwing punches at each other, before James led Paul away. The 33-year-old spoke to reporters ahead of the Lakers’ match against the San Antonio Spurs about his viewpoint of the incident.<doc-sep>The NBA handed down the suspensions for Saturday's brawl between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, and it may not have exactly been what many expected. Brandon Ingram was given a four-game suspension, Rajon Rondo got three games, and Chris Paul received the smallest penalty in a two-game ban. Following the announcement of the suspensions, Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony weighed in on the situation and was "actually a little shocked" that Paul only received two games for the altercation. Via USA Today, Anthony discussed the suspensions after the Rockets lost to the Clippers on Sunday night: "I'm actually a little shocked at the number of games that they are missing," Anthony said, following the Rockets' 115-112 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers. Lakers' swingman Brandon Ingram was banned for four games, Rondo for three. "It actually works in our favor to be honest with you," he continued. "I have seen it go 10-15 games before – I was the culprit of that years ago. But to see CP – I don't want to be speaking on CP – but to see CP only get two games ... I didn't know what to expect to be honest. "Nothing surprises me with the NBA anymore, nothing surprises me. So for him to only get two games is good." Anthony is no stranger to being involved in an NBA brawl. Back in 2006, in a game between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, a brawl began when Knicks guard Mardy Collins hauled down then Nuggets guard JR Smith on a fast break and Anthony ended up getting involved and punching Collins. The then Nuggets forward was ejected from the game and was slapped with a 15-game suspension. In total, the suspensions between all the players involved total 47 games, but Anthony's ban was the most lengthy. The Rockets dropped a 115-112 decision to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and now stand at 1-2 so far this season. Paul didn't play in Sunday's contest as he was serving the first game of his two-game suspension. With Paul out of the lineup, Eric Gordon slid into the starting lineup and James Harden handled the point guard duties for the majority of the game. With Houston struggling out of the gate this season, Anthony is relieved that Paul wasn't given a ban anywhere close to what he experienced back in 2006. Paul will be eligible to return to the court on Friday when the Rockets host the Clippers.<doc-sep>The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers didn't waste any time in turning up the intensity on this new NBA season. Just a few nights into the season, the two Western Conference foes got into a brawl late in the fourth quarter of their matchup over the weekend. Now, the players involved have spoken to the media for the first time since the incident. Brandon Ingram, who sparked things initially by shoving James Harden, then later rejoined the fray to throw a punch at Chris Paul, was given a four-game suspension by the league. Early on Monday afternoon, Ingram said he was happy the suspension wasn't longer, and pledged to take "full responsibility." Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo, who turned things up a notch by spitting on Chris Paul, which led to the fracas, didn't have much to say. Rondo earned himself a three-game suspension. This is an interesting contrast in reactions, though ultimately not too surprising. Ingram did indeed spark things with his unnecessary shove on Harden, and as a young player still trying to prove himself in the league, he'll be eager to put the event behind him. Rondo, meanwhile, has always been an interesting guy, and this dismissive response isn't out of character from him. The brawl began late in the fourth quarter, when Ingram shoved Harden after being called for a foul on the fastbreak. Ingram then squared up to an official, who was standing in between him and the Rockets guard. As players gathered around that incident, Rondo appeared to spit on Paul, which led to Paul poking Rondo in the face. In retaliation, Rondo popped Paul with a left hook, and tried to follow up before he was held back. Paul got in an uppercut of his own, while Ingram then come running back in, winding up for a haymaker that didn't end up doing much damage.<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — After days of buildup for the Los Angeles Lakers’ home opener, there’s a groundswell of energy in the stands of Staples Center. And then comes the fourth quarter. Reigning MVP James Harden digs his shoulder into Brandon Ingram’s chest. Foul. Before the crowd can even properly boo, Ingram shoves Harden. Ingram wants an offensive foul, which he should get. But being MVP comes with certain in-game perks. Ingram’s reaction shocked even his teammates. “He’s usually quiet,” Lakers center JaVale McGee said. “But, I mean, you poke a bear, you bound to get bit.” This tête-à-tête, though, is just the appetizer. “Hell, yeah, B.I. !” a fan yells from the seats above the tunnel, pumping his Lakers No. 23 jersey. “Let’s go!” Until that point, it’s been a game of runs. Metaphorical body blows, before they become literal. The crowd is on its feet. Ingram steps to the referee. This is when things go from zero to 100. But before getting to the brawl that has become the headline of a still infant 2018-19 NBA season, it’s important to understand the moment had been building to its hyperbolic finish via a series of events inspirational, hilarious and weird. This is Tinseltown after all. Showtime, baby. The buildup began before the first NBA player arrived for Saturday’s home opener. The vibe was unavoidable as you landed at Los Angeles International last week. Jump in the Uber and it’s on the radio: The Lakers’ regular season starts this week. LeBron’s in town. Downtown, gigantic billboards of LeBron James dominate the sides of office buildings and hotels. It’s only Thursday, but more and more people wearing James’ No. 23 jerseys pop up downtown. Watch parties for the Lakers’ season opener at Portland are happening around Los Angeles. Foot Locker’s House of Hoops hosts one at The Terrace at L.A. Live. Vintage sporting goods powerhouse Mitchell & Ness hosts a gathering at the landmark (yet troubled) Tower Records building in Hollywood. And Twitter throws an invitation-only event at The Highlight Room of The Dream Hotel, also in Hollywood. A large projection screen is the focal point while private cabanas entertain more intimate groups. Servers walk around with tiny vegetable rolls, fish tacos and bruschetta. A shallow pool in the middle features inflatable hashtags — as the night progresses, it’s kind of amazing no one falls in. James’ Lakers home opener overshadowed by a brawl? This is something straight off a Hollywood film lot. Journalists and NBA entertainment personalities make up most of the nearly 200 people in attendance. In July, James’ The Uninterrupted hosted a post-ESPYS celebration at The Highlight — it’s the hot spot: The Migos’ Quavo performs cuts from his new Quavo Huncho between the third and fourth quarters. What may seem like an over-the-top experience for the first of 82 games is actually a typical night in Hollywood. Showtime Lakers It took just 12 minutes for LeBron James to put the NBA on notice Lakers practice: Trash talk, fun and ruthless competition: LeBron vs. Rondo Lakers' Rajon Rondo: 'We got to be patient like teachers' Kobe Bryant Q&A: 'The Lakers are going to surprise a lot of people' LeBron James, 'The Shop' and the art of code-switching The Lakers lose in Portland, Oregon, largely because they are unable to contain one of the league’s elite backcourts in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. But that’s far from the point, at least on this weekend. What matters is that it seems an eternity since this kind of energy surrounded the Lakers. The expectancy for the 16-time champions is not only to be great but to be showmen as they dominate. It’s a commandment Dr. Jerry Buss etched in Hollywood stone. It’s a commandment Magic Johnson, Pat Riley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spread to the masses during the 1980s, and what the odd couple of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal preached to a late ’90s/early 2000s generation. But the Lakers haven’t played in a must-see game since Bryant’s last in 2016. And they haven’t been true contenders since Bryant tore his Achilles in 2013. On Saturday afternoon, the weather is a cooler-than-average 75 degrees. The Los Angeles Kings play in Staples just hours before the Lakers vs. Houston tipoff. The Dodgers are in Milwaukee for Game 7 of the National League Championship Series en route to advancing to their second World Series in as many years. Lakers legend and president of basketball operations Johnson is a part of the group that owns the historic baseball franchise. Festive is one word for Southern California sports fans, but on high alert is a better description. Dodger Nation we are going back to the World Series! Congratulations to the players, Manager Dave Roberts and his staff, my fellow Dodger owners and all of Dodger Nation for winning the pennant and a World Series birth 5-1 over the Brewers! Let's go @Dodgers! — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 21, 2018 The area around Staples is L.A. Live. There’s the JW Marriott/Ritz-Carlton tower where so many NBA teams stay when in town. There’s also the Grammy Museum, ESPN’s L.A. offices, a Lucky Strike and restaurants such as the popular Katsuya with patios spilling over with people. A sea of Lakers jerseys mills toward the 21,000-person arena. Most are new LeBron looks, but there are a healthy number of Bryant, O’Neal, Kyle Kuzma, Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Johnson, James Worthy and Abdul-Jabbar jerseys worn proudly as well. The potent aroma of marijuana makes everything from the indie vendors’ bacon-wrapped hot dogs to the Smashburgers smell even better. Call it home cooking. In L.A. Live’s open-air common area, a House of Hoops activation sports a healthy line of fans. James’ newest Nike ad runs on a loop. Many happy people walk away with boxes of shoes. It’s a town fair atmosphere in the hours before tipoff. In one direction, there’s a woman pushing a Yorkie in a tricked-out stroller. She’s got spinning rims, and Drake’s “God’s Plan” is blasting. In another direction are the J.R. Smith and Tyronn Lue doppelgängers holding signs reading “It was just 1 shot” and “COME HOME.”<doc-sep>
Brandon Ingram received four-game suspension for his actions during a brawl between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets on Saturday, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He won’t be the only player missing time. The league handed out suspensions to both Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo as well. Sources: NBA suspensions – Brandon Ingram 4 games; Rajon Rondo 3 games; Chris Paul 2 games. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2018 All three players threw punches during the fight. Ingram was initially at the center of the dispute, and was hit with the longest suspension. Rondo and Paul went at it once Ingram was dragged away from the action. The two started throwing punches after Rondo spit on Paul. The NBA reviewed tape of the incident, and factored the spit into their decision. After Paul and Rondo began fighting, Ingram re-entered the fray and threw a punch. The incident started after Ingram fouled James Harden late in the fourth quarter. Ingram disagreed with the call and pushed Harden in the back, drawing a technical. Lance Stephenson jumped in to pull Ingram away from the fight, and that’s when Rondo and Paul started going at it. The fight marred what should have been an exciting night for the Lakers, as it was LeBron James’ home debut. The Lakers went on to lose the game 124-115. The Rockets and Lakers were involved in a brawl Saturday night. (AP Photo) – – – – – – – Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! More from Yahoo Sports: • Bowl projections: Big Ten leader Michigan in running for CFP spot • Tim Brown: Yasiel Puig puts mustard on Dodgers’ NL pennant • Rondo-CP3 brawl grips NBA during LeBron’s home debut in L.A. • Pete Thamel: 10 takeaways include Ohio State’s shocking loss at Purdue