Cleveland Cavaliers veteran Tristan Thompson ruffled feathers in the team’s 131-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
The longtime center, who is only averaging about 7.8 minutes per game these days, scored a last-second dunk at the end of the blowout win. Raptors fans booed Thompson as he jogged back down the court. A few Raptors players got into Thompson’s face as well once the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game.
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Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson, #13, has words with the Toronto Raptors in an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
The skirmish was broken up, but Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic called the last-minute slam “disrespectful.”
“I think what Tristan did there was no class and disrespectful,” Rajakovic said. “I’m not going to stand for that, for sure. I love when my team stands up for themselves. That was no class.”
Raptors guards Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead were among those who confronted Thompson. Barnes declined to comment after the game, but Shead agreed with Rajakovic.
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Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, #13, dunks the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Feb. 12, 2025. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
“What he did at the end of the game was just a little bit disrespectful to the game of basketball, not just us,” Shead said. “We had a couple of choice words. We’re adults, we’ll move on from it.”
Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell was seen with his hands over his head in disbelief after Thompson’s dunk. Head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t have many answers for it.
“I’m not sure what he was thinking,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes, though, you’re playing the game and you just have a reaction. I know with Tristan, there’s no bad intention there. I think just sometimes you’re playing and the goal of the game is to score. Unfortunate.”
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From left to right, Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley sit on the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Thompson, who is from Canada, had four points in four minutes. He is averaging 1.7 points and 3 rebounds per game in 28 games this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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