Report: No suspension for Cavs’ Love for leaving bench in Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love won’t be suspended for leaving the bench during an overtime skirmish in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, ESPN reported Friday, citing a league source.

Love had wandered onto the court late in the Golden State Warriors’ 124-114 overtime win on Thursday night, as Cavs forward Tristan Thompson and the Warriors’ Draymond Green were getting into a heated altercation on the floor.

Love was quickly ushered back to the bench as Thompson was ejected and then shoved the ball into Green’s face.

The refs restored order as Thompson made his way back to the locker room after receiving a flagrant-2 call. Thompson was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday night, but not suspended, for his part in the skirmish. The Cavs’ forward, who had just two points and five rebounds in defeat, was called for a foul, a flagrant 2 foul that the NBA also downgraded to a flagrant 1 on Friday.

Thompson had taken exception to Warriors guard Shaun Livingston putting up a shot with five seconds left in overtime and the game in hand. The Cavs’ forward was called for a foul while contesting the shot and then began jawing with Green afterward.

“I contested a shot that shouldn’t have been taken,” Thompson said afterward, per ESPN. “I mean, it’s like the unspoken rule in the NBA: If you’re up 10 or 11 with about 20 seconds left, you don’t take that shot. I make the contest, and next thing I know, I was being kicked out for a good contest that we learn in training camp. I don’t know why I got thrown out.”

Game 2 is Sunday night in Oakland, Calif.

–Field Level Media