The NBA has suspended Orlando Magic guard Arron Afflalo for two games for throwing a punch at Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nemanja Bjelica on Wednesday night, the league announced Thursday.
Afflalo will forfeit $32,119 in salary for the two games, at Cleveland on Thursday and at Boston on Sunday.
Afflalo and Bjelica were ejected with 7:58 left in the second quarter, four minutes after both players had been assessed technical fouls. Afflalo threw a wild punch and Bjelica then put Afflalo in a headlock, leading to the ejections.
"I don't want to feel like a victim here; that's part of the game,'' Bjelica said. "But he took a swing at me, and I was just trying to protect myself, first of all, and to calm him down because he was wild.
"I don't know what's wrong with that guy, but at that point I have to protect myself and my family.''
Orlando won the game, 108-102.